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Philippines, 04 Jul 2025 |
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WHEN MANNY PACQUIAO TALKS, EVERYBODY LISTENS By Tonton Alcos-Antogop PhilBoxing.com Fri, 02 Aug 2013  It seemed that Manny Pacquiao still has not lost his superstardom because when he talks everybody still listens and so Agence France Presse pulled a scoop of sorts when the news broke out that he dreamt of becoming the President of the Philippines. Some skeptics could label this as an overstatement but since he still made it to the headlines after his AFP interview that somehow, manifest that his glitter of a gem as ?superstar? has not yet decimated. Yes, Money Mayweather you read this right, when Manny Pacquiao, the fighting congressman of Sarangani province, talks, everybody is still listening and that proves that he is still a marquee boxer. He still has marketability so to speak and that to happen even when he suffered two straight losses, first, the controversial majority decision to Tim Bradley and second, the shocking knock-out defeat from Juan Manuel Marquez is somewhat a testament of how the fans still love every bit of the Pacman. In the Philippines alone, from the corridors of power of the presidential palace called Malacanang down to the homes of most Filipinos, they immediately had their share of thoughts about the AFP story, it was all over town, the television, newspapers, radio and the emerging game changer of the media industry, the social media, picked it as it become the trending topic among the ?netizens.? And so the mouthpieces of Pres. Benigno Aquino III immediately unleashed with their torpedoes of opinions and reactions reminding Pacquiao as well as the Commission on Elections telling the Sarangani lawmaker of the constitutional provision of age requirement. They pummelled and castigated Pacquiao thinking he would have the folly of filing his certificate of candidacy in the 2016 presidential elections which prompted his top legal counsel, Atty. Franklin ?Jeng? Gacal to put in proper perspective what has been told to the France based news agency. Gacal emphasized Pacquiao did not mean it to be in the 2016 presidential election because by that time, boxing?s lone eight division world champion is still 37 years old which is short of the 40 which the Philippine constitution so requires. "He knows very well that he will not be qualified to run for president in 2016 because of the age requirement," Gacal stressed, also Pacquiao?s erstwhile congressional chief of staff, who has to relinquish it by virtue of his recent election as city councilor of General Santos City. In fact, the context of the news itself as it appeared was silent as to what year will Pacquiao throw his hat in the presidential race drawing a reaction from the Philippines' number two highest public official, Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay, the chair of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) where Pacquiao is a member. Like Gacal, Binay also came to defend the lawmaker. Binay said Pacquiao could very well do it in 2022, hinting, his party would help Pacquiao carve his political path as PDP-Laban sources revealed that Pacquiao is a shoo-in for Binay?s senatorial ticket in 2016. The Vice President has long made it public that he will vie for the presidency on that year. But even if it has to wait, his most staunch political ally, Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian-Solon has already felt the excitement uttering the word, ?game? when the news of Pacquiao?s presidency reached him, meaning, the Governor gave his thumbs up to such a plan, an approval and support. Solon was recruited to the Pacquiao founded regional political party, the People?s Champ Movement (PCM) in the last elections and paired with his equally famous wife, Vice Gov. Maria Geraldine ?Jinkee? Jamora- Pacquiao, who beat Eleanor Saguiguit, a former provincial board member, in a resounding majority. And take it from these two who were among the hundreds and thousands probably whose lives were touched and helped by Congressman Pacquiao from out of his boxing purse and personal pocket. One of them honestly admitted receiving P1,000,000.00 just so his daughter would have treatment of kidney ailment. ?He really deserves to be President, he is a good man. He loves the poor, in fact he gave me one million for my daughter,? Samsom ?Bacalos? Gillo of Lagao, General Santos City told this writer in vernacular. Marian, his daughter, did not survive though but the amount given by Cong. Pacquiao depending on the incurred hospital bills tremendously help as the girl only gave up after two years of her sick ordeal. Gillo, 55, used to be the driver of Fiscal Edilberto Jamora, Vice Gov. Jinkee?s uncle, the city prosecutor of General Santos City. For Manuela ?Nene? Galay, the coordinator of Emmanuel Pacquiao Scholarship Program, described Pacquiao as ?hero? to those who has pursued their college degree courtesy of the Sarangani lawmaker. ?He is our hero, he would surely help more people once he becomes President, I know him,? Galay in mixed Ilongo and Cebuano avers, adding, she is a witness when people flocked to the Pacquiao mansions to ask for financial assistance. Galay recalled how Pacquiao still did not in a way seemed affected in his defeat to Bradley in June last year as the Sarangani legislator went home straight to his home province just to personally give relief goods and financial aid to his constituents who were affected by flash floods. According to Galay, Pacquiao decided to postpone a scheduled family vacation abroad then since the Sarangani congressman just flew back to the United States to be reunited with his wife and children after the giving of the aid to the calamity victims. To Galay, those whom Pacquiao has helped would matter, pointing out that helping the poor and needy is the bottom line of every Presidency. ?Pagtabang sa pobre gyud ang importante sa bisan kinsa nga (helping the poor is important for any) President,? Galay, emphatically said. This corner is in agreement to what the Pacquiao scholar coordinator has raised as improving the economic status of its citizen should always be the priority of every nation?s President. Hence, if a Pacquiao presidency happens it will surely add page in history and in a way it will be good for the image of boxing, to inspire more of those who want to be somebody of the well loved sport. That is the future, depending on how everything will unfold but certainly it showed, how the news of Manny Pacquiao of becoming President of the Philippines reverberated and although critics would disagree, everybody seems listening and then talked after about it. Imagine, the once poor boy, a pandesal (bun) and ice pop vendor then before his huge boxing success, would be address, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of the Philippines. Pacquiao speaks at the Venetian Macao press conference last July 27 for his upcoming fight against Rios on Nov. 24. Photo by Dong Secuya. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Tonton Alcos-Antogop.  |
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