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Can Duterte, Pacquiao mend ties? 'Anything is possible' in politics, says Palace

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/06/29/20181217-duterte-pacquiao-2-ho.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte chats with Sen. Emmanuel &quot;Manny&quot; Pacquiao during the latter&#x27;s birthday celebration at the KCC Convention and Events Center in General Santos City on Dec.17, 2018. Robinson Niñal Jr., Presidential Photo</figcaption></figure></div><div> </div><p>MANILA — &quot;Anything is possible&quot; in politics, Malacañang said on Tuesday, as it addressed an apparent rift between once close allies and party mates President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Manny Pacquiao. </p><p>Duterte on Monday challenged Pacquiao to back up his claim that the government is &quot;three times&quot; more corrupt than previous administrations. The President said he would expose the senator as a liar &quot;daily&quot;, if the latter fails to name corrupt officials.</p><p>&quot;I think it’s rather obvious that the relationship between the President and Sen. Pacquiao is not cordial as it was,&quot; said Duterte&#x27;s spokesman Harry Roque.</p><p>He said Pacquiao was among next year&#x27;s potential candidates for president who <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/03/21/rodrigo-sara-duterte-isko-bong-go-marcos-2022-elections">could’ve had Duterte’s backing</a>.</p><p>&quot;Pero hindi na ata nakahintay si Sen. Pacquiao,&quot; Roque said in a press briefing.</p><p>(But it seems Sen. Pacquiao could not wait.)</p><p>Asked if this meant that Pacquiao is now out of the running as among Duterte&#x27;s anointed bet, Roque said, &quot;Hindi naman po definitely because in the realm of politics… anything is possible. But for now, mainit po.&quot; </p><p>(Not definitely because in the realm of politics, anything is possible. But for now, the issue is hot.) </p><p>Duterte&#x27;s Monday comments were the latest chapter in a surprise war of words between him and Pacquiao, who is seen as being among his strongest backers and a possible successor when his 6-year term expires June next year.</p><p>Using an expletive in his strongest language yet against Pacquiao, Duterte said if he did not reveal corruption, he would be &quot;playing politics&quot; and pledged to take action against any erring officials.</p><p>It was not immediately clear what officials he was urging Pacquiao to expose, or why. Pacquiao has not been publicly speaking about any allegations of high-level corruption in recent days.</p><p>Pacquiao is the acting president of Duterte&#x27;s political party, the PDP-Laban. </p><p>&quot;The President realizes that the PDP naman po ay talagang halos wala nang miyembro n&#x27;yan bago siya pumunta d&#x27;yan,&quot; Roque said, when asked if Duterte wanted Pacquiao out of the party&#x27;s leadership.</p><p>&quot;At kinikilala naman po niya (Duterte) na ang PDP ay partido ng mga Pimentel.&quot;</p><p>(The President realizes that the PDP almost had no members before he went there. And he also recognizes that the PDP is really the party of the Pimentels.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><em><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1716435" width="100%"></iframe></em></figure><div class="iwantbar"><em> Video courtesy of PTV </em></div><p>Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, executive vice-chairman and former president of PDP-Laban, earlier this June called Pacquiao the &quot;<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/17/21/pacquiao-is-the-president-we-need-says-pimentel">president that we need</a>.&quot; </p><p>Pacquiao, 42, has long been among Duterte&#x27;s strongest supporters, <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/07/18/manny-pacquiao-tells-oxford-students-no-ejks-in-ph-drug-war">backing his bloody war</a> on drugs and bid to re-introduce the death penalty. The <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/28/21/boxing-amid-paradigm-lawsuit-pacquiao-camp-assures-spence-fight-to-push-through">boxing champ</a>-turned-senator has yet to announce his presidential bid.</p><p>Early this month, Duterte <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/08/21/mag-aral-ka-muna-duterte-tells-pacquiao-on-china-policy">criticized </a>Pacquiao&#x27;s &quot;shallow&quot; foreign policy knowledge, after the senator said he found the leader&#x27;s stand on the South China Sea as &quot;<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/03/21/duterte-stance-against-china-weakened-2016-elections-pacquiao">lacking</a>&quot; and &quot;disheartening&quot;.</p><p>Duterte remains popular in the country. Political allies are urging him to run as vice president when his term ends. His daughter - a long term aide - is also seen <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/16/21/sara-duterte-inaming-pinag-iisipan-na-ang-pagtakbo-sa-pagkapangulo">among his possible successors</a>.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/01/21/duterte-for-vp-in-2022-joke-of-the-worst-kind-1sambayan">Duterte for VP in 2022? &#x27;Joke of the worst kind&#x27; - 1Sambayan</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/duterte-duterte-tandem-in-2022-a-negative-factor-analyst">Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022 a &#x27;negative factor&#x27; - analyst</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/08/21/duterte-says-no-one-deserving-to-replace-him-in-2022">Duterte says &#x27;no one deserving&#x27; to replace him in 2022</a></li></ul><div><strong>— With reports from Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News; Reuters </strong></div><div><br/> <br/> </div><div><br/> </div>

<p>"Anything is possible" in politics, Malacañang said on Tuesday, as it addressed an apparent rift between once close allies and party mates President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Manny Pacquiao.<br /> </p>

"Anything is possible" in politics, Malacañang said on Tuesday, as it addressed an apparent rift between once close allies and party mates President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Manny Pacquiao.