Sunday, May 30, 2021

Convene PDP-Laban party assembly despite Pacquiao’s warning. Inquirer Newsletter May 31, 2021

KINSHIP WITH NATURE Sunday morning finds students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, barangay officials and volunteers from different organizations planting native trees on a sprawling land in Sitio Payong, Barangay Old Balara, Quezon City, beside Marikina River, to serve as future barriers against flooding, ahead of the onset of the wet season. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Board Talk

Better ways for better days

Last year we celebrated 100 years. You can’t be around that long without learning from mistakes and doing things better. One of the things Aboitiz did – over the course of five generations and a rapidly expanding workforce in an increasingly complex environment – was to simply remain focused. —Story by Sabin M. Aboitiz

Regions

Outbreak hits maritime academy in Zambales

An outbreak of the coronavirus disease has hit the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) in San Narciso town of Zambales province, infecting 134 cadets and two employees, an official said on Saturday. —JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT INQ

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Banner Story

Eased curbs in NCR Plus bubble seen as cases dip

By DJ Yap

As the rift within the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party widens, Sen. Manny Pacquiao will try to meet with President Duterte to discuss the plans of the nominal ruling party for the 2022 elections, a party leader said on Sunday.

PDP-Laban executive director Ronwald Munsayac said Pacquiao, the party’s acting president, would set a meeting with the party chair, Mr. Duterte, “so the two party leaders can discuss and set the agenda for the legitimate national council meeting to be set a month before the filing of candidacies, or earlier if the chairman wishes.”

Munsayac issued the statement a day ahead of what he described as an illegitimate national assembly of the PDP-Laban on Monday that was called by the party vice chair, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

Last week, Pacquiao released a memorandum to all PDP-Laban members telling them that the meeting called by Cusi was not sanctioned under party rules, which required that any call for a national council, assembly or meeting must be approved only by the party chair and president.

But Mr. Duterte’s spokesperson, Harry Roque, issued a statement saying that the President had directed Cusi “to organize, convene and preside” over its national council meeting set on Monday in Cebu City.

“This move, which is part of the democratic exercise, aims to consult party members and have fruitful and productive exchanges on issues affecting PDP-Laban,” the presidential spokesperson said.

Pacquiao could not be reached for comment.

Cusi last week said the President, as party chair, had been solely vested with the power to call meetings of the national council under the party’s constitution. The energy secretary said Mr. Duterte had authorized the meeting of the council. --with a report from Jerome Aning INQ

Editorial

Entrepreneurs need help

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) account for more than 90 percent of businesses in the Philippines. It follows, according to think tank Moody’s Analytics, that they would suffer the most from a prolonged economic recovery from the pandemic, exacerbating the hardships they have been going through since the onset of the recession last year.

Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net