THESE PAST few weeks and beyond May 14, Manny Pacquiao has gotten so immersed in politics that probably the first thing he thinks about the moment he wakes up in the morning and the last thing on his mind just before he dozes off is politics.
“I wake up much earlier than when I am training for a big fight,” Pacquiao told the Bulletin from General Santos City yesterday afternoon, moments after coming off a one-day visit to Cebu.
Since getting back from a rousing ring campaign in the US, Pacquiao has never been so busy luring the public to vote for him.
“I do house-to-house campaigning in the morning and in the afternoon and evening, I speak to the public,” said Pacquiao, who is going up against incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio for the congressional seat in South Cotabato.
“What training?” Pacquiao asked his interviewer when told about the difficulties of his daily campaign.
“What I am doing right now does not compare with my boxing training. It’s really tough, this political campaign,” said Pacquiao, who, two weeks ago made headlines after stopping Jorge Solis of Mexico in San Antonio, Texas.
According to sports and political observers, Antonino-Custodio, a known oppositionist and a media darling, is a lot tougher than Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and Solis combined.
But Pacquiao, as usual, is unfazed even though the prospects of unseating Antonino-Custodio remain easier said than done.
“I have only one mission and that is to serve my people to the best of my abilities,” said Pacquiao, who runs under the administration party.
In preparation for D-Day, Pacquiao will stage his miting de avance on May 11 in General Santos City where a huge crowd is expected to attend in anticipation of victory.
