Pacquiao takes over as president of Duterte’s PDP-Laban

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III (left) swears in two new officers of PDP-Laban — House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (center) as executive president and Sen.Manny Pacquiao as president. (Photo from Ron Munsayac, PDP-Laban executive director)

MANILA, Philippines — As the 2022 elections draw nearer, Sen. Manny Pacquiao was sworn in as the new president of PDP-Laban, the political party of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The oathtaking ceremony took place Wednesday night, with House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco also taking his oath as the party’s new executive president.

Boxer-turned-senator Pacquiao replaced Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who will now serve as the party’s executive vice chairman.

“Senator Koko Pimentel has passed on the practical day-to-day leadership of the Party to one with new, ‘modern’ ideas and one who has the time, energy, and boldness to prepare the Party for the 2022 national and local elections,” Ron Munsayac, PDP-Laban executive director, said in a Viber message.

“Senator Koko Pimentel is now Executive Vice Chairman of the Party and will work very closely with our Chairman President Duterte, National President Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and Executive Vice Presidential Speaker Lord Velasco,” he added.

Pacquiao’s name is among those being floated as a possible contender in the 2022 presidential elections.

Back in June this year, Bob Arum,  Pacquiao’s former promoter, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the boxer-turned-senator would run for the presidency in 2022.

“I did a telephone call with him. ‘Bob, I’m gonna run in 2022 and when I win, I want you there at my inauguration,” Arum said.

But Pacquiao denied that he discussed any plans about running for president with Arum.

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