Boxing star Manny Pacquioao is all set to run for the position of President in the Philippines in next year’s elections. His candidature was nominated for the post by a faction of the ruling party in power; PDP-Laban.
Pacquioao, aged 42, has had a phenomenal run as a talented fighter and is also currently a Senator in the country’s Parliament. As a boxer, Pacquioao has created history by winning world titles in eight different weight divisions. He is regarded with a legacy represented in his large and widespread fanbase. He recently lost his fight against a Cuban fighter and said that he was considering retiring from the sport.
Parallel to Pacquioa’s campaign, Rodrigo Duterte has been barred yet again to run as a nominee for the President’s position, although he has been chosen by a rival party to run for vice-president. This has received a lot of opinions from critics everywhere, who strongly believe this to be a cling for power. He has been picked to compete alongside a close ally Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, but who has firmly said that he wouldn’t like to succeed Mr. Duterte.
Accepting the nomination that has been filed for him, Pacquioao said “I am a fighter, and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring.” He pledges to primark his work in fighting against poverty and corruption.
“The time is now, we are ready to rise to the challenge of leadership,” he further went on to add at the PDP-Laban convention. “In the name of our countrymen who have long been desiring the right change in government. I wholeheartedly, bravely and humbly hope for your support.”
There are also critical insights into whether his candidacy is all sunshine and roses. Opinion polls have consistently been topped by Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of former President Duterte. Up until recently till the earlier half of the year, Pacquioao was a supporter of Duterte, a populist leader who became infamous throughout the world for his bloody war against drugs that has killed thousands. Pacquioao later claimed that Duterte’s government was fraught with corruption and maintained a very strong relationship with China. Duterte has been banned by the Constitution to seek a second six-term tenure and has accepted his nomination as a vice presidential candidate, as a direct result of Pacquioao’s allegations.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has also launched its own investigation into the killings that occurred under Duterte’s administration.
It is presently not clear which PDP-Laban factions, led by a boxing star, will be ultimately recognized by the electoral commission of the nation, but preparations are well underway for the 2022 general election.
