The top absentee in the House of Representatives, Sarangani Rep. and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao declared that God better remove him from office if he has done his constituents wrong.
Attending the Inquirer’s celebration on Wednesday night of the media group’s coverage of the Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout, the welterweight champion in his speech shared his initial dislike towards politicians amid massive poverty among their constituents.
“I’m not expecting na I’m going to be a public servant,” Pacquiao, a perennial absentee in the House of Representatives, told reporters, editors and other employees of the Inquirer Group of Companies and the Philippine Daily Inquirer at the celebration held at the Inquirer building in Makati City.
“Sabi ko dati, I don’t like politicians,” Pacquiao said amid laughter from the audience, recalling that in the past when he was going through plight and earning only P50 in cheap boxing fights, politicians never went to his aid.
“Ang daming taong naghihirap, ang daming taong gutom. Dyan ako galing eh, tapos walang tumutulong sa kanila,” said Pacquiao, sharing that he once slept on the carton by the sidewalk.
He said as Sarangani representative, he may be absent in the plenary but he had been active in giving out aid to his constituents.
He said crafting laws in the plenary is useless if there is no aid to the constituents.
According to the latest House records, Pacquiao, an actor, boxer, congressman, and basketball coach, is the top absentee in 2014, attending only seven days of sessions. He was actually present for four session days but he was deemed present, meaning his absence was excused, for three days. He spent 25 days on “constituency work” and registered two unexcused absences.
Pacquiao said if he had committed any malfeasance that may have deprived his constituents of his service, he said God better remove him from the position so that he may better serve God instead.
“Kung ano ang plano ni God sa akin, edi yun ang masusunod. Ang prayer ko sa Panginoon, kung magkasala man ako sa pagseserbisyo sa pulitika, huwag niyo na lang po akong ilagay dyan, mas mabuti pang magserbisyo na lang ako sa Panginoon,” Pacquiao said.
At the sidelines of the celebration, Pacquiao said he want his legacy to be free from corruption while he serves as congressman.
“Kung ako ay maging kurap na politician, mas mabuti pang mawala ako sa pagseserbisyo (I’d rather not serve if ever I become a corrupt politician),” Pacquiao said.
The congressman said he has yet to decide if he will run for reelection. Pacquiao is also being eyed as the senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance.
Pacquiao earlier said his absence in the chamber is excusable as long as he is present for his constituents in his district.
“Absent ako dito, pero present naman ako sa distrito natin. Marami naman tayong natutulungan,” Pacquiao said. AU