Manny Pacquiao has officially tossed his gloves into the ring after his lawyer filed his certificate of candidacy for congressman yesterday. But Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco, Jr. pulled the day’s surprise when he announced he is running for governor of Tarlac.
Pacquiao’s certificate of candidacy in the first district of South Cotabato was filed shortly before 2 p.m. by his lawyer Franklin Gacal, who was joined by political leaders of General Santos City.
The deadline for the filing of COCs was 12 midnight Thursday for those seeking local posts.
The elections will be held on May 14.
Cojuangco was scheduled to file his own certificate of candidacy late last night after a 6:30 p.m. mass in a Tarlac cathedral.
“The die is cast,” said POC spokesperson Joey Romasanta, a long-time confidant of Cojuangco.
The POC chief began his political career as a councilor in Tarlac’s Concepcion town. He became vice mayor, then mayor and eventually congressman serving many terms.
This is the first time he is seeking the governorship although his wife, former model Ting Ting Cojuangco, became governor shortly after the EDSA revolution.
Romasanta said Cojuangco opted to run as governor instead of congressman so he could personally look into the development being done in the province “and pursue his dream of building an athletes village in Tarlac.”
“Tarlac is not that far away from Manila,” Romasanta quoted Cojuangco as saying. “It’s different if you are a governor, for example in Davao, because you can reach Tarlac from Manila in less than two hours.”
Cojuangco did not say whether he will relinquish his post as POC president in the event he is elected, but by saying that Tarlac is just a two hours drive away implied he intends to stay on as POC chief.
Pacquiao, meantime, was so concerned over his political plans that he was burning the lines yesterday from Los Angeles.
“Manny kept on calling me, asking me where I was,” said Gacal, who spoke with the boxing star before and after filing the COC.
Pacquiao is training for an April 14 fight with Mexican Jorge Solis in San Antonio, Texas.
“He wanted to make sure that I would file the COC,” said Gacal. “Tell the people there that they won’t regret voting for me,” Gacal quoted Pacquiao as saying.
Pacquiao will be up against incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who is seeking her third and final term.
The 33-year-old oppositionist filed hers on Wednesday.
Antonino-Custodio belongs to a heavyweight political clan that has ruled the province for two decades and is heavily favored to repulse the most formidable challenger to her throne.
