Manny Pacquiao accepted Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban) nomination to run for Philippines President
Manny Pacquiao is running to become the next President of the Phillippines.
The 42-year-old boxer – who is one of the most celebrated athletes of all time – has accepted the nomination of the PDP-Laban-Pacquiao faction ahead of the elections in May 2022.
Manny Pacquiao
@MannyPacquiao·
I boldly accept the challenge of running as PRESIDENT of the Philippines. We need progress. We need to win against poverty. We need government to serve our people with integrity, compassion and transparency. The time is now. I am ready to rise to the challenge of leadership.
Manny currently serves as a Senator in the Phillippines and he’s been outspoken critic of President Rodrigo Duterte.
He said: “Your time is up! We gave you a chance, but you failed us. We waited for a long time, decades have passed, but nothing happened.”
Manny also suggested that his boxing background will stand him in good stead in the Presidential race.
The sporting icon – who has won world titles in an unprecedented eight different weight divisions – explained: “I am a fighter, and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring.”
Senator Manny Pacquiao is the presidential candidate for the 2022 national elections of the PDP-Laban wing which is led by him and Senator Koko Pimentel.
Pacquiao was declared as the presidential candidate of PDP-Laban during the national assembly of his wing on Sunday held in Libis, Quezon City.
The national assembly was held nearly two weeks after the PDP-Laban wing headed by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi named Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte as their group’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, respectively.
DPA Notes: Given the celebrity culture in Philippines, as well as the immense popularity of Manny Pacquiao in the country – his humble roots, like Duterte, is likely going to appeal to the masses and send him to the Palasyo ng Malakanyang (Malacañang Palace).