By Aquiles Zonio, Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Allison Lopez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—While some of the country’s biggest presidential aspirants may be scrambling to win the support of Manny Pacquiao, officials in the very province where boxing’s biggest superstar plans to mount his battle for a seat in Congress appear to have ignored him.
In Mindanao’s Sarangani province, Pacquiao’s camp on Sunday criticized provincial officials for snubbing his arrival on Saturday.
They put up no welcome banners and none of them showed up to congratulate Pacquiao when he spoke and appealed to residents to join him in his fight to conquer poverty and protect the environment.
Only his fans and members of the media were around when the champion spoke at the Kiamba town plaza.
Minvelez Gulle, one of Pacquiao advisers, said the boxer’s ring achievements were beyond politics and that by ignoring him, the Sarangani officials showed their lack of political finesse and maturity.
Pacquiao, who comes from General Santos City, has transferred his residence to Sarangani—birthplace of his wife Jinkee. He has declared his intention to run for a congressional seat in the province against billionaire Roy Chiongbian, youngest son of the late Rep. James L. Chiongbian.
Gov. Miguel Dominguez said that traditionally the province had never given a grand welcome to Pacquiao as the airport was in General Santos City.
Dominguez also said there might have been a lack of coordination between the local government and Pacquiao’s people regarding his homecoming.
In Manila, administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. is not giving Pacquiao up to another party without a fight.
A source in the party said Teodoro had instructed Dominguez, the party’s new president, to sit down with Pacquiao and come up with a compromise that would allow the boxer to run for the province’s congressional seat under the party’s banner.
The source, a businessman who asked not to be identified because he did not want to be associated openly with politics, said Teodoro remained confident that Pacquiao would stay with the Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition despite moves by his presidential rival, Sen. Manuel Villar, to get the boxer into the Nacionalista Party (NP).
Villar told reporters the other day that he and Pacquiao had talked over dinner and that Pacquiao “is our candidate in Sarangani.”
Pacquiao has denied having decided under which party he will run, saying only that he will announce his decision “later.”
Sarangani Rep. Erwin Chiongbian, a Lakas-Kampi-CMD member, is on his third and final term and reportedly intends to have one of his relatives run in his place next year. The Chiongbians have ruled the province since 1992.
Pacquiao failed in his first attempt to run for Congress out of South Cotabato as a Liberal Party member in 2004.
Reginald Velasco, Lakas-Kampi-CMD deputy secretary general, said Pacquiao was considered a member in good standing of the party although he had yet to formally take his oath.
Pacquiao joined the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) in September 2008 before it merged with Lakas in May.
Former President Joseph Estrada is also keeping a slot open for Pacquiao in his Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) ticket, the Inquirer learned.
Ferdie Ramos, Estrada’s media relations officer, said Estrada went to Pacquiao’s house in General Santos City in August.
Asked if things had changed since then, Ramos said the PMP was still open to Pacquiao.
Asked about the Pacquiao issue Sunday at the University of Makati, Estrada said he was not grabbing anyone’s candidate.
“They are the ones who are pirating our candidates,” Estrada said in Filipino.
“Syempre pag pinirate nila ang isang kandidato (Of course, if they are pirating a candidate), there is really a considerable amount that you offer. We don’t have any amount to offer. What we really only offer is service.”
Later, Estrada said: “Pirating candidates is common these days, like pirating films. It’s a pity Edu Manzano is no longer [anti-piracy chief]. I would have asked Edu to arrest them.” With a report from Christian V. Esguerra
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----I think it's better for Manny Pacquioa to focus in his boxing career first before running in any public office.
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