Manny Pacquiao has publicly declared his candidacy in the upcoming senatorial elections in the Philippines and in the next few days he will officially file his Certificate of Candidacy before a designated officer of the Commission on Elections.
The announcement was made in the presence of his party mates in the People?s Champ Movement (PCM), a local political party that he organized in 2010. ?I would like to inform you that I?m running for senator this coming 2016 election. Whatever I did in my district in Sarangani, I would try to duplicate it in the whole country once I get elected,? Pacquiao said. In addressing the same constituency, Pacquiao said he wants to continue serving his fellow Filipinos as senator. ?In the coming days, I will be embracing new levels of responsibility,? said Pacquiao, who has yet to disclose his party. ?I will be confronting tough challenges. My second term as your congressmen will soon be over, but I will continue to be of service you and to our fellow Filipinos,? he added. In a TV interview by Karen Davila on ANC’s “Headstart,” Pacquiao indicated that he may retire for good if he is elected senator in the May 2016 elections. “I’m 37 years old na,” Pacquiao told Davila in the program. “I’m not saying that I’m retiring, pero siguro may fight pa na isa before the elections, and then?” ( I am not saying thaty I am retireing but maybe there is one more fight before the elections), and then… “Ready na siguro (to retire) dahil ang tagal ko na sa boxing. More than 20 years na ako sa boxing,” (may be I’ll be ready to retire because I’ve been in boxing for over 20 years), he added. Pacquiao may indeed be retiring after his comeback fight early next year following his controversial loss to Floyd Mayweather last May 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. But that is based on the assumption that Mayweather is indeed retiring for good as there are persistent reports that he is considering a possible rematch with Pacquiao. But even if Mayweather’s intention is just to surpass Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 career record, he seems confident that he will again prevail over Pacquiao in a rematch. So between Pacquiao and a hand-picked opponent, he would likely go for Pacquiao because of the huge financial rewards the the rematch will bring.
For both Mayweather and Pacquiao, there is no other opponent out there who is capable of generating even a quarter of what they received in their last fight. The rematch may not happen in February or March next year but it remains a possibility for both Mayweather and Pacquiao down the road. Pacquiao’s plan to retire once elected to the senate is indeed commendable as he has to come up with good credentials in preparation for whatever higher office he has in mind after his term as senator. But the lure of another windfall that the rematch will bring will just be too much for both of them to resist.
