MANILA, Philippines — For Malacañang, there appears no other reason but politics on Senator Manny Pacquiao’s critical remarks on the Duterte administration.
According to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, “everybody knows” the boxing champ wants to run for president.
“Pulitika po ‘yan. Alam naman nating lahat na gustong tumakbong presidente ni Senator Pacquiao,” Roque said in a press briefing when asked what he thinks is behind Pacquiao’s comments against the current administration.
(It’s politics. We all know Senator Pacquiao wants to run for president.)
“Sa akin po, hindi tamang stratehiya ‘yan. Kasi napakatagal pong nagsama ni Senator Pacquiao at ni Presidente,” he added.
(For me, that’s a wrong strategy because Senator Pacquiao and the President have long been together.)
Duterte lashed out at Pacquiao in his last “Talk to the People” over the senator’s claim that corruption persisted under his watch.
The President went as far as threatening to campaign against Pacquiao if he could not prove his claim of corruption in government.
Pacquiao has denied he was “attacking” Duterte saying he only wants to work with the President in the government’s anti-corruption drive.