KIAMBA, Sarangani ? He is the world?s pound-for-pound boxing champion, but Manny Pacquiao still had to wait an hour for his turn to vote at the Kiamba Elementary School in Poblacion Area, Sarangani.
Pacquiao, running for a seat in the House of Representatives against Roy Chiongbian in the lone district of Sarangani, arrived at 7:30 a.m. and was given priority No. 30 and asked to wait for it to be called to the Precinct 04B.
Wearing a fuschia shirt and denim pants, Pacquiao waited an hour for his number to be called. But that was just okay with the champ who spent his time being interviewed by media and having his picture taken with fans.
?Nag-aantay nga yung ibang tao, ako pa. Ok lang ako, mag-antay. Relax muna ako dito,? Pacquiao said with a grin.
Asked about his chances of defeating the well entrenched Chiongbian, Pacquiao said he was very confident of winning.
He could be the world?s pound-for-pound champion but in the first ever automated election in the country on Monday, Manny Pacquiao is as ordinary as just about any Juan dela Cruz who exercised their right to suffrage.
Meanhile, Pacquiao was accused of allegedly violating the Omnibus Election Code when his camp came out with a full-page ad in a local newspaper in Sarangani on May 9, 2010 which was no longer within the campaign period set by the Commission on Elections.
In page 3 of Sapol New Bulletin dated May 9, 2010, a full-page ad with the picture of Manny Pacquiao with phrases like ?Iboto para sa pagbabago! 2010? and ?Emmanuel Pacman Pacquiao for congressman? printed on the said page.
The ad was paid by ?friends of Manny Pacquiao?. The said paper is being circulated in the General Santos and Sarangani areas.
Pacquiao is, however, not alone in posting ads in the said daily as one Ronel Rivera who is running for (General Santos) city councilor.
AT party-list group also has an ad as well as Sannie Sombrio, Alfredo Toroctocon, and Dhats Nilon, all running for city councilors.
In an interview Monday, Pacquiao denied any knowledge of the publication of the ad. His lawyer, Giovanni Mata, said Pacquiao is not liable for the ads posted by his friends.
?Manny cannot be implicated because he does not know anything about it,? Atty. Mata said.
