Senator Manny Pacquiao on Sunday accepted the nomination of his faction of the ruling PDP-Laban party to run for President in the upcoming elections next year.
“Yes, I accept your nomination as presidential candidate of the Republic of the Philippines,” said Pacquiao during their 11th National Assembly.
In his speech, the world boxing champ-turned politician warned he would, if elected, jail all thieves in the government who are making the country suffer.
“I can feel what you feel — the hardships. You are already exhausted in the situation of our country, the sufferings of our poor people,” he said.
Pacquiao cited the need for progress and the need to win against poverty and for government to serve the people with integrity, compassion, and transparency.
He noted that the Filipino people had grown tired of the promises of reforms, they had grown bored. “They asked when will their suffering end,” the senator said.
Saying that now was the time, Pacquiao emphasized they are ready to rise to the challenge of leadership.
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, the party’s national chairman, announced that Pacquiao was given the power and authority to complete the senatorial slate of his wing of the ruling party.
Earlier, Pacquiao said he was contemplating on a possible presidential run or retirement from politics.
He also revealed his 22-point agenda, including goals for economic growth, sustainable livelihood, and ending corruption in the country.
To date, only two presidential aspirants have made formal announcements of their political plan.
Senator Panfilo Lacson on September 8 declared he would seek the presidency with Senate President Vicente Sotto as his running mate.
Sen. Christopher Go was endorsed as the standard-bearer of the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi but rejected the nomination.
The Cusi camp remains hopeful that Go will reconsider his earlier decision to lead them in the 2022 elections. President Rodrigo Duterte will run as Go’s vice president.
Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said she was “ready” to file her certificate of candidacy for president if chosen as the bet of a united opposition in the 2022 national elections.
She said in her weekly radio program, “I assure everyone, there’s no doubt that if I become the unity candidate, I will be ready.”
Robredo said that given her mandate as vice president, she had been preparing to lead the nation in case she needed to replace the President.
“I’ve been preparing for a long time because the number one mandate of the Vice President is to succeed if something happens to the President,” she said.
She added: “Since day one of my vice presidency, it has been my obligation to prepare for that eventuality. It’s not that I’m asking for it. It’s just my responsibility as Vice President.”
Robredo also said she was ready to face former senator Bongbong Marcos, whom she beat in the 2016 vice presidential race, for the presidency.
She said whoever the opposition would choose to field in 2022, two objectives must be met: “If I run, will it help us avoid what we don’t want to happen? For this administration to continue in 2022? For the Marcoses to be back in power? That’s what we don’t want to happen, right?”
“What I fear is, we already see corruption at the height of the pandemic. It would be very dangerous if this continues. We know what Marcos did to the Philippines. It’s not speculation.”
Robredo also confirmed plans to meet with Senator Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, both potential presidential candidates in 2022.
The filing of candidacies for the 2022 polls opens on Oct. 1.
In related developments, Robredo said she supported the extension of the voter registration until Oct. 31 for the national and local elections.
She cited “extraordinary circumstances” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We understand that because our elections are digitized, Comelec would need to move fast and fix everything. That’s why they need to impose a deadline. But perhaps it would be possible (to extend it),” she said.