Senator Cynthia Villar said Senator Manny Pacquiao might be thinking of hanging his boxing gloves to take a shot at becoming the country’s next president.
“I think he’s thinking about it,” Villar said Tuesday during the Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum when asked if she thinks the boxing champion would run for the highest seat.
She noted, however, that it would be Pacquiao’s decision if he wants to run for presidency.
“It’s his decision,” she said.
Asked what does she think of Pacquiao’s chances if he decides to take the candidacy, Villar said “it’s the Filipino people [who] will judge it.”
“We have what we call the masang Pilipino [Filipino masses]. What the masang Pilipino would like, I think will happen in this country, ‘di ba [right]? They are the majority in this country,” she said.
Senator Manny Pacquiao and Senator Cynthia Villar. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTOS
Villar also said she was not sure whether Pacquiao’s popularity would give him passport to be president, and noted that being the country’s highest leader is a “destiny.”
“Merong mga popular sa masa pero hindi sila naging presidente. I think presidency is destiny. I think popular din si Grace Poe, popular din si Manny Pacquiao. Bakit si Digong [President Rodrigo Duterte] ang naging presidente natin?” she said.
(There are some people who are popular with the masses but did not become president. I think presidency is destiny. I think Grace Poe is popular, Manny Pacquiao is also popular. Why did Digong become president?)
“Hindi mo masabi ang masang Pilipino eh… Ako nacoconfuse sa masang Pilipino [You cannot predict the Filipino masses. I am confused with them],” she added.
From obscurity, Pacquiao was catapulted to popularity when he started to win boxing fights and knock out opponents here and abroad. He had this winning streak in boxing that made him champion before he tried his hand at becoming a senator in the 17th Congress. He ranked 7th among the winning senators in the 2016 national elections. /jpv
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