FILE PHOTO: Senator Manny Pacquiao. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Scoffing at so-called traditional politicians or “trapos,” Senator Manny Pacquiao said he is not the kind to turn a blind eye to “massive corruption” plaguing the government.
According to the world boxing champion-turned-lawmaker, he has already been investigating alleged incidents of corruption in government as soon as he was elected senator in 2016.
As chairman of the Senate committee on public works, Pacquiao initiated in 2017 an investigation into the P8.7 billion alleged road right-of-way scam in General Santos City.
Since then, he said, many people have been approaching him with leads and pieces of evidence pointing to alleged wrongdoings in government.
READ: Senate to probe spurious right-of-way claims in GenSan
“Anong gagawin ko? Basta tumahimik ako? Hindi naman ako katulad nilang mga trapong politiko eh,” Pacquiao said in an interview with popular television host Toni Gonzaga-Soriano, who maintains a Youtube channel. The interview was posted on Sunday, September 19, moments after Pacquiao declared his plan to run for president in next year’s election.
(What will I do? Just keep quiet? But I’m not like those traditional politicians)
Asked later about what he considers to be the country’s number one problem, the senator answered: “poverty.”
And the reason why there’s poverty? ‘Massive corruption,” Pacquiao quickly replied.
The second billionaire in the Senate also stressed during the interview that he is not a “worldly person.”
So, to people wondering why he still opted to join politics when he could just have enjoyed his money with his family, Pacquiao had only this to say: “Ako kasi dun ako sa tama (I am for what is right).”
“Ayokong maging trapo na, ‘Ah kasi kakampi ko ito, pagtakpan kahit maraming korapsyon sabihin ko na lang walang corruption.’ Hindi ako ganun eh. Magkakampi tayo, magkasama tayo, support ako sa lahat ng mga program pero pagdating sa masama, pasensyahan tayo,” he went on.
(I don’t want to be a trapo who would cover up for an ally and just say there’s no corruption even if there are various types of corruption. I’m not like that. Yes, we’re allies, I’ll support all your programs, but when it comes to wrongdoings, I’m sorry, I won’t tolerate it.)
According to Pacquiao, he was already able to provide homes for more than 1,000 families through his own money.
“Bilyon-bilyon ang nagastos ko pero kung isipin ko lang sarili ko, bakit ko gagastusin sa mga tao ‘yun…? Totoo ang sinasabi ko na kailangan kong balikan ang mga kasama kung saan ako nanggaling, tulungan sila,” he said.
(I already spent billions, but if I only think of myself, why would I spend it for those people? It’s true when I say that I need to go back to those people where I came from, help them.)