MEMBER of Parliament for San Fernando East Brian Manning yesterday pushed back against claims that support for him in his constituency is dwindling, questioning why he was being singled out over his level of support.“There are persons in the executive right now who lost relatively marginal or safe seats by almost 4,000 votes, yet they are in senior positions in the party. So, I don’t know why the last election result would be used as a barometer of support within the constituency,” Manning said.“If San Fernando East is the only PNM constituency outside of the East-West Corridor, why are you picking on me?” he said.Manning said San Fernando East was “rock solid” with the People’s National Movement (PNM), and would remain so.He was speaking to reporters in Tarodale during his back-to-school haircut drive in the constituency.Manning’s comments come amid an ongoing dispute within the San Fernando East PNM constituency executive.Recently, he alleged corruption within the constituency executive. The entire executive subsequently resigned.PNM leader and Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles advised Manning that any evidence of corruption should be taken to the police.Last week, before the start of a constituency general membership meeting, Manning told reporters he had not made a police report because there was more than enough information in the public domain. He said, however, that “all will be revealed in time.”Despite the developments, Manning said he was not concerned about being victimised within the party.“I don’t feel like a victim. I feel like a person who stood up for his constituents, someone who the constituents have placed their trust in, and that’s part of the job. Whether I have to stand up against my own party or someone else to support the constituents of San Fernando East, that’s what I signed up to do and that’s what I will continue to do,” he said.Manning also gave an update on the constituency’s recent general membership meeting, saying constituents had raised concerns and that he explained what had transpired, the decisions made by the party and the path forward.He said the constituents were “overwhelmingly supportive” and agreed with what he had initially done.He said constituents were now looking forward to the installation of a new executive.However, Manning said he was unhappy with the process that had taken place so far.Manning, the son of former prime minister Patrick Manning, who represented San Fernando East for 44 years, said he would never join the United National Congress (UNC).He said doing so would cause his father to “turn in his grave.”Asked by telephone about a post on his social media page in which he said a person who won his seat by only 200 votes wanted to become leader, had been undermining the current leader, had not been doing meaningful work and had been leaking one-sided, biased documents to the media, Manning declined to elaborate.“I have no further comment and I think it speaks for itself,” he said.School reopeningSpeaking about the reopening of schools, Manning said some schools in his constituency were not fully prepared.He said the cancellation of the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) and Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) had made it difficult to prepare schools, particularly in terms of grass-cutting and painting.However, Manning said the Minister of Education had assured MPs that assistance that was “desperately” needed would be provided.Manning also addressed concerns raised on Friday by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of San Fernando East Secondary School about structural and maintenance issues, including an uncut playfield.He said the issue was not related to underground gas lines, but rather that the school had previously been among those assisted by CEPEP.Manning said the Mayor of San Fernando had been doing his best to accommodate the additional workload despite a reduced budget.“It’s been difficult to keep up but we are aware of the issue and we are going to work to see what can be done in due course,” he said.