Manny Pacquiao to announce presidential ambition after August fight
Philippine Senator and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao could announce his Presidential ambition after his comeback fight in August it has been revealed.
The comeback fight is a chance for the 42 year old pugilist to prove his mettle at an age when most boxers would have hung their gloves.
A two-year break from boxing has left the Philippine legend “hungry” to get back in the ring for what could be the last fight of his storied career and a warm-up for a presidential rumble next year.
The eight-division world champion and beloved national hero will have tens of millions of fans from the boxing-mad archipelago in his corner when he faces American Errol Spence in Las Vegas on August 21.
“I’m a politician, all politicians are dreaming for the higher position,” the elected senator told AFP in his southern hometown of General Santos, where he is training.
“I’m going to announce (my decision) in the proper time, maybe after the fight.”
Pacquiao’s star power in a country famed for its celebrity-obsessed politics would put him in a strong position in the presidential race.
A public skirmish between Pacquiao and President Rodrigo Duterte over the latter’s handling of the South China Sea dispute with Beijing and official graft could erode support for the boxer.
Duterte who is allowed to serve only one term as president rivals Pacquiao for the affections of many Filipinos who will determine by their votes who gets what next year.
Pacquiao would face a formidable opponent if Duterte’s daughter, Sara, were to run for the top job.
A recent poll showed the Davao city mayor — the same position her father held before he took power in 2016 — with the most voter support, well ahead of Pacquiao and other potential contenders.
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Pacquiao is deeply admired in the Philippines for his generosity and hauling himself out of poverty to become one of the world’s greatest and wealthiest boxers.
Dozens of locals wait outside his gym in downtown General Santos in the hope of catching a glimpse of the rags-to-riches hero — and receiving some money — before he climbs into an olive green Hummer to drive back to his manicured compound.