Pacquiao says poll foe 'stronger' than Cotto
MANILA – Seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) for congressman of Sarangani Province, and said his electoral opponent is stronger than Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.
Before filing his CoC, Pacquiao attended a mass together with family and his People’s Champ Movement party mates at the Saint Michael’s Parish in General Santos City.
The Filipino boxing sensation will be running against Roy Chiongbian, a top executive of Eastern Shipping Lines (ESL) who comes from the wealthy Chiongbian family.
“Mabigat ang kalaban natin… Mas mabigat pa kay [Miguel] Cotto,” said Pacquiao, referring to the Puerto Rican champ whom he demolished in last month's world welterweight title clash in Las Vegas.
This will be Pacquiao’s second attempt in politics. He ran as district representative of South Cotabato in 2007 but lost to Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio.
Chiongbian is unfazed by Pacquiao’s political bid, saying that he can duplicate Custodio’s victory over the boxer.
Chiongbian filed his CoC Tuesday night.
Poll to affect Pacman-Floyd
Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s political bid may affect his future fights, particularly the planned mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Top Rank Promotions head Bob Arum revealed that the fight could be held on March or May, depending on whether Pacquiao will run unopposed or not.
“If he has to run against an opponent, then he'll have to start campaigning for the May 10 election on March 25… If that's the case, then Mayweather would have to be willing to fight March 13,” Arum told the Los Angeles Times.
The Top Rank big boss disclosed that Pacquiao, Mayweather and “many others” would rather hold the fight on May 1.
“Obviously, we could use the extra month and a half to get ready for something like that," Arum said.
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PARA SA AKIN!
Para sa akin hindi masama para kay Manny ang pumasok sa larangan ng Politika! why? it is because in his capacity as a Padre de Pamilya kya na iyang buhayin at e maintain ang business niya 4 his family future! i understand that sometimes a human is felt the emptiness of power! maybe he has something of his mind to proved us na meron siyang talent na dapat niya e share sa tao aside of being a boxing superstar, but i doubt it if he tell us that he is goint to Politics to help the people that is absolutely wrong idea of him! secondly, 4 him entering into a politics is not just bad dream pero depende yon kung anong klaseng position, at sa pinili niya bilang representative in congress o isang mambabatas iyan ay malaking pgkakamali pra sa kanya at sa mga taong nag udyok sa kanya at lalo na sa mga taong boboto sa kanya? siguro kung tatakbo siya bilang isang municipal mayor bka pwede? dahil it is local executive posts not just like of being a congressman on where it is judiciary! i doubt kung kaya niyang gumawa ng batas at maipasa ito?.....peace!...
Sang-ayon ako kay Mr. Peter-UK
… number one din akong fan ni Manny ngunit siguro parehas lang kaming opinion ni Peter_UK. Dagdagan ko ang sinabi ni Peter, kung gusto nyang tumulong sa masa di nya na kailangan pumasok sa politika dahil malayo sa experience nya ito. kung gusto nyang tumulong, i-donate nya na yung lahat na kinita nya sa pay-per-view sa taga-Gensan. I believe genius sya sa boxing ngunit doubt ako kung ganun din sya sa politics. Doubt din ako na hindi sya mababahiran nang corruption dahil kung hindi rin sya after sa pera, mag-retire na sana sya sa boxing. Kung matuloy ang laban nila ni Mayweather, billiones na pera na naman ito sa kanya di ba? Anong dapat nya pang i-probe, naka-7 title na sya?
Malaki ang naitulong ni Manny
Malaki ang naitulong ni Manny Pacquiao para sa ating Bayan, natakpan halos ang mga kawalanghiyaan ng mga namumuno sa ating bansa at iginagalang na muli ang mga pinoy sa ibang panig ng mundo dahil sa kanyang accomplishment. Bilang isang Pinoy, malaki ang respeto ko sa kanya pero ang pagpasok niya sa pulitika ay isang patibong para masira ang kanyang katanyagan. Magtayo na lang ng Boxing foundation para dumami pa ang katulad niyang maghahatid ng karangalan sa bansa.
...and the beauty of democracy is...
...as a people we can vote who should well-qualified in politics or not. Sana kung tayo boboto, wag lang natin iboto kung sino man; dapat tignan din natin ang kanilang qualifications. It seems like we are easily swayed to vote for a candidate just because of his/her popularity on the TV screen. Wag sana naman ganun. Dapat mag-isip tayong lahat bago natin iboto kung sino man ang mag-rerepresent sa atin.
Pacquiao is still unproven in politics, but that doesn't mean he can be bad at it. Give him a chance. Thank goodness for democracy we can *decide* to vote him in or not, but lets do so based on his campaign if he will live up to those promises. I hope he sticks to boxing (for now), mayroon pa siyang panahon pumasok sa politics (sa bagay ang bata pa nya). But I for one will not ask him to quit pursuing what he wants to do. For what he's done with the sport and representing us Filipinos, he deserves so much respect for whatever he does (unless of course he gets himself involved in corruption and masamang tsismis ;))
Better be in the boxing ring...
this is the prize of having democracy..kahit na lang sino pwede tumakbo basta sikat.Sabi nga ni Rizal there are people born to be farmers, some are fishermen, some are doctors..hindi pwede lahat pulitiko.I admire Manny for his boxing skills,he gave pride and honor to our country, but I doubt he will be a good legislator, ibang level na yun.If he wants to help his kababayans pwede naman nyang gawin yun as private individual, wag na syang pumasok sa politics.Ginagamit lang naman sya ng ibang politicians para makahakot ng boto.
I have to agree with you there,
pacFanInSD.
Lets hope he will be the new kind of politician this country needs so badly, straight and honest and in it to help the people and not themself.
Cheers :)
My only advice then is...
...lets not judge the man for something he hasn't done yet. As Manny has proved that he isn't just any boxer in the ring, its quite possible (if he wins) that he may not be just any politician in office. Manny brings hope and for all his accomplishments, I sure hope and pray he can bring one in the world of Philippine politics.
Again, my humble opinion is that he stay on the boxing ring and beat the $h** out of Mayweather. But I can see his side too....I think he's already made enough money and if he feels his next goal in life is to shape the conditions on the Philippines using his influence, then more power to him!
Only time will tell ..........
pacFanInSD, I hope and wish you are right, but as you know, once people get into power and have the chance to fill their pockets, most will do so.
Lets see what happend in about one-two years time and then we see who is right.
Seen it happend in Europe, and all over Asia, not even mention Africa.
Power corrupts the best.
So what if he's running for Congress....
Peter_UK....why do you think he's running for congress? Maybe reading this will help:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/12/01/boxing.manny.pacquiao.philippines/
If you followed Manny's career, he's never always been about money, but is serving others...whether to entertain them with the sport of boxing, or serving them to give them a better lifestyle and opportunities, and if he feels running for Congress will do so, then more power to him!
I for one prefer for him to stay out of politics and continue to focus on boxing, but he will never ever lose my respect (nor should others) if he chose the political route. He's proven himself in the boxing ring, maybe he feels he has a different calling now....
I used to respect Manny .....
but now where he wants to cash in on his fame and run for congress, this is ridiculous, its shows us all that money is not in hard work and honest living, but sleazy politics.
On his next fight, I will put $100 on Floyd Mayweather Jr.