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People’s Champ Pacquiao
By Antonio C. Abaya
May 12,2009

Although I personally do not like boxing as a sport and could not gather enough enthusiasm to watch the Pacquiao-Hatton fight – or any other boxing event, for that matter, since the heavyweight title match between Floyd Patterson and Archie Moore in Chicago in 1957 (?) – I join the national euphoria over Pacquiao’s victory and do congratulate him for a job well done. We are justly very proud of him.

At last, some good news, for a change.

There’s more. In its May 11 issue, TIME Magazine includes Manny Pacquiao among The TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People.

And not a word about you-know-who who fancied herself a global stateswoman at the United Nations, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and at the Obama White House, but nobody paid any attention to her. She must be so green with envy now.

In the TIME accolade, Pacquiao – Mr.Pacquiao, if you please – was one of only a few whose write-up and photo, combined, occupied one whole page or more. The others: Sen. Edward Kennedy, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, London Mayor Boris Johnson, President Barack Obama, the inventors of Twitter, Actor Brad Pitt, Swindler Bernard Madoff, Radio Host Rush Limbaugh, Musician MIA (never heard of her), Actress Kate Winslet, Comedian Jay Leno, US First Lady Michelle Obama, Preacher Rick Warren, Economist Nouriel Roubini, Economist Paul Krugman, and Danish marketing expert Martin Lindstrom. The 87 other honorees had to be content with a mere quarter, third or half a page. What a singular honor for Mr. Pacquiao to be given one whole page..

In his appreciation of Mr. Pacquiao, former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis wrote: “Pound for pound, Manny Pacquiao is the best boxer in the world. But even more important than holding that distinction, Manny has connected with the people of his home country, the Philippines, to the point where he’s almost like a god. The people have rallied behind him and feel like they’re part of him, because they can see his talent, his dedication, his grace and his class. The grip he holds over the Philippines is similar to Nelson Mandela’s influence in South Africa. I can surely see Manny becoming the Philippine President one day…….”

Whoa! Is Lewis getting ahead of himself? Well, maybe and maybe not.

In its May 5 issue, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that: “In a move that may well catapult him to Congress next year, Manny Pacquiao is parlaying his enormous popularity as a boxing champion – boosted by his electrifying knockout of British hitman Ricky Hatton last weekend – into a political movement….”

He is said to have founded the People’s Champ Movement (PCM) in September last year in his hometown of Gen. Santos City. He petitioned the Comelec last December to recognize the PCM as a “local political party,” which would allow PCM to field candidates for local positions in the 2010 elections: mayor, governor, congressman.

In the 2007 elections, Mr. Pacquiao ran for congressman against the incumbent, last-termer Arlene Antonino-Custodio, a tiny wisp of a girl but a member of the local political dynasty. He was soundly defeated, 139,061 votes to 75,908. Some attributed his loss to his running under the Atienza wing of the Liberal Party, an ally of President Arroyo.

If that is so, then this must be the reason he formed his own party, the PCM. Last year, the Kampi trapos were loudly bragging that Mr.Pacquiao was about to join their party. They were apparently planning to field him as the Poster Boy for their ChaCha Fraud that is meant to keep Gloria Arroyo in power beyond 2010.

That team-up has fortunately not happened. He has not joined the party of political prostitutes. He apparently believes that being associated with President Arroyo would not be to his advantage, but would in fact be a kiss of death. Bully for Mr. Pacquiao.

In his now elevated status as a genuine national hero, Mr. Pacquiao is needed more than ever by Gloria and her coterie of political prostitutes, to advance their self-serving goals. Mr. Pacquiao does not need them and he should not allow them to use him.

The news that he has formed his People’s Champ Movement in preparation for a re-entry into electoral politics has generated a lot of negative feedback from those already in politics, some because they are genuinely concerned about his future as a champion boxer; others because they fear his popularity could threaten their hold on power.

I take the opposite tack. I say, Go for it, Manny….Mr. Pacquiao. Those who fear the prospect of a President Manny Pacquiao are afraid of their own shadows. The minimum age for a presidential candidate is, if memory serves, 45. He is only 30, so the earliest he can be a candidate for the presidency is in 2024.

By that time, Manny – Mr. Pacquiao – would no longer be boxing champion, he would no longer enjoy his present status as a national idol, and he would presumably have grown in knowledge and wisdom to become a more serious presidential candidate, if he still wants to run for that office.

In the meantime, there is no reason why he should not run for mayor, governor or congressman, if he wants to. He is genuinely popular and would handily win any local elections that he chooses to join. He would not be any less qualified than many of the incumbents.

More importantly, he can build on his well-earned reputation as the People’s Champ to champion the causes of good governance, clean and fair elections, and moral renewal in this spiritually bankrupt and god-forsaken country, as typified by its leaders.

With the right set of advisers, the People’s Champ – whether as mayor, governor or congressman – can lead a national campaign against the predatory trapos and political dynasts who have ruined this country almost beyond repair.

With the right set of advisers, the People’s Champ – whether as mayor, governor or congressman – can lead a national campaign against the ChaCha Fraud of Kampi and Lakas that is meant to keep Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in power beyond 2010.

With the right set of advisers, the People’s Champ – whether as mayor, governor or congressman – can lead a national campaign for moral renewal much more effectively than either Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno or Pampanga Governor Fr. Among Ed Panlilio or Evangelist Ed Villanueva.

With the right set of advisers, the People’s Champ – whether as mayor, governor or congressman – can lead a national campaign to bring to the fore that “new breed of leaders” that the Catholic bishops have only talked about and that Ang Kapatiran Party is naively trying to recruit by inviting nominations from the public.

(With all due respect, Nandy, isn’t AKP on the ‘wrong side of history’ in advocating the banning of boxing? I do not like boxing any more than you do. But banning it? How many votes do you think will your candidates win on this issue, given the na6ional euphoria over Pacquiao’s victory?).

With the right set of advisers, the People’s Champ – whether as mayor, governor or congressmen – can lead a national campaign to bring to the consciousness of the masa, who adore him, the need to elect morally motivated leaders like ZTE whistle blower Jun Lozada and Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga who would otherwise be languishing on the sidelines of our electoral process because they are powerless against the corrosive influence of Big Money in our politics.

With the right set of advisers, the People’s Champ – whether as mayor, governor or congressman – can implement an economic stimulus package to lift large segments of the masa population from poverty more effectively than any graft-ridden initiative from the most corrupt government in Asia.

With the right set of advisers, the People’s Champ – whether as mayor, governor or congressman – can start a peaceful and non-violent revolution to save this country from its corrupt politicians.

Go for it, Manny! Mr. Pacquiao, sir!

Reactions to tonyabaya@gmail.com. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com
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