IN the midst of the national euphoria the masses felt over the triumph of Manny Pacquiao over Eric Morales, one fact emerged, that Pacquiao has become a hero in the eyes of his countrymen. The masses have long been in search of a hero, one who from humble beginnings rose to embody the collective dreams of his people.
At the moment, the average Filipino is not tired of talking about Pacquiao?s achievement. His win was no mean feat, and he truly did his country proud.
And here lies his responsibility as role model for his countrymen, an honor he earned through blood, sweat and sacrifice.
National icon
No matter what Pacquiao does now, he will be watched, followed every inch of the way, not merely as a boxing celebrity but as a national icon. What he accomplished in less than thirty years of his life is something few have attained. Looked up to and idolized today as no other Filipino has ever been in recent years, he has become a kind of national property.
It is on this premise that Pacquiao should recognize the fact that his standing in Philippine society has acquired for himself an added, albeit much heavier, responsibility of sustaining the high regard the Filipinos have for him.
Anything he does will reflect the honor and prestige of his country. It will be a great moral disaster for the country if suddenly Pacquiao does something that fails him as a hero in the eyes of the Filipino people.
Politics
His name is now an assurance of success for any enterprise that carries his name. There will be all sorts of enticements to exploit his name, none the least of which is politics. Like showbiz people, Pacquiao can be assured of political victory.
But what will it profit Pacquiao or the Filipino people if he becomes a senator or congressman? He will just sit there in the session hall twiddling his thumb and saying nothing because he does not know what to say. Turning a boxing icon into a politician is like taking fish out of the water. Pacquiao?s burden as a national hero is heavy, and he should be wary of the tricks of the devil in disguise.
