"This is clearly a trial balloon, but I quote in full an anonymous piece that I found in my inbox last week. What do you think?"
"This is clearly a trial balloon, but I quote in full an anonymous piece that I found in my inbox last week. What do you think?"
Proof positive that preparations for the 2022 presidential election are already in full swing—below the radar, that is—is what landed in our inbox last week. It’s a piece about Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and why he deserves to sit as president of this republic, written by someone who obviously prefers to remain anonymous at this time. It’s clearly a trial balloon, but we think it allows readers to catch a glimpse of the character and qualifications of the man, and therefore to make an informed judgment on Election Day 2022, so we’re posting parts of it here, with editing for brevity and clarity.
“President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that during one of Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s birthday celebrations that he attended: “I told him while we were alone, ‘I want you to become president.’
“Even National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose has expressed open support for Pacquiao as president: First, Manny has money for the campaign. He does not have to scrounge for funds; and every peso of his money was earned, his body punished for it. Second, Manny is intelligent; to be where he is, he trained very hard, disciplined himself, and studied himself, his opponents, their strengths and weaknesses. His response, powered by this intelligence, is automatic and quick.
“Third, he rose from the depths of poverty, he knew hunger only too well, that poverty is our people’s most serious problem. How to abolish it, I hope, is his first priority. I hear that his vices are few, affordable and riddable. Fourth, Manny has found faith and religion which give him moral strength and direction. He is now a Senator; he is exposed to the realities of political power, how it is acquired, how it can be abused. I hope this Senate experience has illustrated to him who are the real enemies of the Filipino people, who made them poor. The oligarchy—I hope that deep in his heart and mind he understands this—that to erase poverty in this country, it is necessary to destroy, emasculate or change this oligarchy and to neutralize their political allies.’
“No Filipino loves this country more than Manny Pacquiao. He has always carried and waved our flag in the brightest moments of his career and made sure only our top singers would sing the national anthem.
“It is true that for simply being himself, for professing his pride as a Filipino, Manny has endeared himself to boxing fans all over the globe. No Filipino has ever achieved this kind of international following. Hall of Famers in various sports, famous entertainers and hosts of top rating TV shows, even world leaders, would visit him to get selfies with him.
“While most of us may have our opinions it would be unwise not to heed the advice of our elders given their long years of experience. We never had a true People’s Champ like Manny Pacquiao. He is not from a political family, he is not from an Ivy League school or even the top schools in the Philippines. Hey, his English ain’t great either. He is a true outsider in Philippine political oligarchy, but he may actually be our country’s saving grace to propel us back to our lost greatness…
“Manny Pacquiao is a good man. He may have his faults in the past but deep inside he has always been a good man, ready to help anyone despite being abused and taken advantage of numerous times.
“He is also very humble, he knows he does not know everything and is always open to learning new things.
“This humility will work best and will be a stark difference from past presidents. In the past you had a very hierarchical leadership where the president knows best and gives out commands for everyone to follow. But with Manny Pacquiao we may be able to achieve a true team effort in raising our country up.
“They say leadership is not necessarily being the smartest but by surrounding yourself with the best and the brightest.
“There is a reason Manny Pacquiao is called the “People’s Champ.” He continuously fights for us and for our country against all odds. And his constant fighting for us is the reason that he is admired by the masses. It is only when he fights that the country is united and there is zero crime. No other individual in our generation has that kind of effect in a country.
“Now people may say he does not speak English that well or he is not smart. Regarding English, the answer would be, does it matter? We are Filipinos, he speaks Filipino and Bisaya. There are many world leaders who do not speak English and have translators during conferences. Do not force the English if not needed.
“As to not being smart, I believe he may not be exposed to many things but I do not think he is not smart. To be a great boxer you need to study your opponents, strategize and anticipate. This not only requires quick reflexes but intelligence as well.
“Pacquiao is the perfect vehicle for God to shine and for him to accomplish God’s plan for our nation.
“Pacquiao knows how to endure long hours of training, he is fit and ready to fight. He has the stamina and the endurance for what the presidency needs.
“He has the heart for true public service and can be a unifying factor in a divided country. He as a possible future president can be the superman to sweep us off our feet, be the hero that can unite us and deliver us to greatness.”
So what do you think?