LAS VEGAS ? Manny Pacquiao is accustomed to dealing with divisive characters who make controversial statements and occupy a position of prominence in their chosen field. He even fought one man who fits that description, Floyd Mayweather, last year.
But as Pacquiao?s latest title fight, against WBO welterweight belt holder Jessie Vargas, looms large this Saturday, it is his close ties with Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte that has generated most discussion in his homeland and beyond.
Duterte famously ranted against President Obama last month, calling him a ?son of a (expletive)? and saying Obama could ?go to hell,? all while insisting the Philippines would now seek closer ties with Russia and China.
Pacquiao, who was elected to the Philippines senate since this year, has become a staunch backer of Duterte, despite not having endorsed him in the electoral race. He has thrown his weight behind the president?s hardline yet much-maligned attempts to staunch narcotics violations, a brutal crackdown that has, according to Reuters, led to thousands of deaths.
The pair appear to be at roughly the same point on the ideological spectrum. Which is to say, leaning strongly to the right in a traditionally conservative country.
Pacquiao, fiercely religious, said recently that God made Duterte president, in order to ?discipline? the people. Last year, Pacquiao likened homosexuals to animals, and has voted in favor broadening the use of the death penalty.
Politics in the Philippines is filled with bluster and bombast just as much as in this country, yet Pacquiao?s rhetoric has still raised some eyebrows. His colorful chatter is thankfully not quite on the same level as Duterte, who recently likened himself to Adolf Hitler.
Yet Pacquiao has been around long enough that his political views are unlikely to do anything to affect his boxing popularity, and by extension, his earning power. In the United States there is not enough interest in Filipino politics for there to be a meaningful backlash. In the Philippines, Pacquiao will always be cherished as perhaps that country?s finest sportsman ever.
Meanwhile, his relationship with Duterte seems to be continuing to flourish.
Duterte weighed in on Pacquiao?s showdown with Vargas at the Thomas and Mack Center on Saturday.
?I am no boxing expert, but if (a knockout) does happen, it should be in the early rounds,? Duterte told a news conference this week. ?If it goes beyond seven or eight rounds, he could tire out. He might lose his punching power. Manny can hit him, knock him down.?
The bond between the pair has deep roots. Both are from the island of Mindanao. According to Pacquiao, Duterte gave political and financial backing to one of his early fights more than 15 years ago, and they had a mutual appreciation for each other ever since.
Pacquiao has been in the public eye for nearly two decades thanks to his status in boxing, but his public service aspirations have altered his life significantly.
Trainer Freddie Roach admitted that the demands of senate meetings and appearances had affected preparation. Also, due to the fraught nature of Filipino politics, he has acquired extra security after his office received threatening phone calls.
The Vargas fight could potentially be his last, although as much was suggested before he defeated Timothy Bradley just seven months ago.
For now though, he carries on, the same old Pacquiao and still one of the biggest attractions in boxing, albeit with friends in high places.
