Duterte tells Pacquiao to work, do not go elsewhere

President Rodrigo Duterte has another tension with Senator Manny Pacquiao, who said corruption in the current government has worsened.

In Duterte’s speech at the inauguration of the LRT 2 East Extension Project on Thursday, he said Pacquiao should work as a legislator and not always be absent.

“Bakit ngayon ka lang nagsalita at bakit umatras ka dun sa boxing fight? Kasi alam mo ‘pag matalo ka, you are a goner. Those are your inconsistencies,” Duterte said.

“Sit in Congress, finish and find out corruption. If not, you are a shit. A shit is a shit. Magtrabaho ka, do not go elsewhere… ‘Wag kang pa-absent-absent,” he added.

Earlier, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said that Pacquiao’s attack on Duterte was a wrong tactic.

Pacquiao’s name is among those floating to run for president in the 2022 elections possibly.

“Pulitika po iyan ‘no, eh alam naman nating lahat gustong tumakbo ng presidente ni Senator Pacquiao. Sa akin po, hindi tamang istratehiya iyan kasi napakatagal naman pong nagsama si Senator Pacquiao at ni Presidente,” said Roque.

Duterte tells Pacquiao to work, do not go elsewhere

“Paulit-ulit ko nga pong sinasabi eh ‘no, binanggit na ni Presidente isa sa tatlo na posible sana niya noon na i-endorso for president is Senator Manny Pacquiao, hindi ko po alam kung bakit hindi nakapaghintay si Senator Manny Pacquiao,” he added.

Roque also questioned the timing of Senator Manny Pacquiao’s accusation that there is corruption in the Department of Health (DOH) amid the pandemic.

“Sa akin po, absent po siguro si Senator Pacquiao nung nagprisinta yung mga Cabinet secretaries, or kung hindi siya absent he may have been preoccupied with something else,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview on state-run PTV-4.

(Senator Pacquiao must have been absent or preoccupied with something else when Cabinet secretaries discussed how the government would address the pandemic.)

“Nandun nga po siya nung naghi-hearing ang Senado at kung meron siyang mga tanong na ibinato kay Secretary Duque nung mga pagkakataon na ‘yun,” Roque added.

(Senator Pacquiao attended the Senate hearing on this, and he could have asked Secretary Duque when he had that chance.)