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Philippines, 18 Feb 2026 |
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DUTERTE ENDORSES PACQUIAO FOR PRESIDENT IN 2022 By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Wed, 20 Dec 2017  In the occasion of his 39th birthday celebration at the KCCC Mall in Gen. Santos City Sunday night, President Roa Duterte encouraged senator and former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao to give the presidency a run in the national elections in 2022. By that time Duterte's term shall have expired and the president obviously have wanted a successor from Mindanao, like himself. Duterte is the No. 1 fan of Pacquiao in all his boxing fights since he was a budding pro until he reached stardom at the top of the world. * * * Pacquiao did not support the then Davao City Mayor Duterte in the May 2016 polls. He was at the senatorial lineup of former Makati City Mayor and then Vice President Jejomar Binay in the party United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Duterte then was a reluctant candidate for president and filed his candidacy as a late substitute for PDP-Laban in December, while the boxing icon has filed together with the other candidates in October. * * * Duterte said he perfectly understood Pacquiao's situation as the boxer-senator was already committed to the camp of Vice President Binay. But when Duterte won, Pacquiao became one of the staunch supporters of the President, especially in his war against illegal drugs. "One time in a private talk, I told him I want him to be President and said he could do it,? said Duterte. * * * The President praised Pacquiao for the honor he has endowed to the country with his boxing exploits that has made him known as a global icon of the sport. ?You have brought so much pride and joy to our country for being a world champion in the field of boxing. The determination you have shown and the humility you embodied in the midst of glorious triumphs are worthy of emulation by our countrymen,? Duterte said. * * * Duterte also lauded Pacquiao as a sincere and dedicated elected government official. ?As a senator, you have demonstrated the qualities of a true leader, someone who believes that in order to make the Philippines a better country, we have to keep our people on top of our priorities. I am glad that you are with me in this mission,? Duterte said. * * * Pacquiao recalled how he used to roam the streets of General Santos City, selling anything to make a living. He said he did not expect the kind of life he is living now. "I want to be an inspiration to everyone, especially the poor. Don't be discouraged, because God has plan for you," Pacquiao said. Mommy Dionisia, the Senator's mother, said she was not sure if God would give them enough money for Pacquiao to spend for the presidential campaign but she assured her son that she would support him all the way. "I want you to take care of yourself and to keep praying every night," she said. * * * World heavyweight champion Vitaly Klitschko announced on October 2013 his intention to take part in the next Ukrainian presidential election set for 2015. Experts and lawyers then argued if Klitschko could take part in these elections because under the Ukrainian law, a presidential candidate must have his residence in Ukraine for the past ten years prior to election day. Klitschko had lived for many years in Ukraine and Germany. So, in the 2014 presidential election Klitschko instead endorsed the candidacy of Petro Poroshenko. * * * Vitaly Klitschko instead run for the post of Mayor of Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine, in the 2014 Kiev local election set for May 25, 2014. He won Kiev's snap mayoral elections with almost 57% of the votes. He was sworn in as mayor on June 5, 2014. In the 2015 Kiev Mayoral election Klitschko was reelected with 66.5% of vote. * * * Jason Pagara missed the weight limit by two and-a-half pounds then lost by sixth-round technical knockout to Hiroki Okada on Tuesday night, December 19 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Before the stoppage, Pagara (40-3-1, 25 KOs) was trailing 50-45 on all three judges' scorecards when the fight was stopped 59 seconds into the sixth round. It was his first defeat in six years. who was battered and survived a split-decision draw against Kenyan James Onyango last September after 10 months of inactivity. * * * Okada (17-0, 12 KOs) won the vacant WBO Asia Pacific junior welterweight title with the triumph. Pagara was out of shape and his inactivity caused his No. 1 junior welterweight ranking with the World Boxing Organization to slide down to No. 8 rank in November's rankings. With the loss he is expected to sink further out of the top ten. "It's about discipline to get the weight," Pagara's trainer Edito Villamor told Rappler. ALA Boxing Promotions CEO Michael Aldeguer told Rappler that Pagara was supposed to fight in July but the fight did push through because he was out of shape. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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