Pacquiao confirms run for congressional seat

By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 10:22:00 11/21/2009

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Politics, Pacquiao, Boxing


MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao said Saturday that he was “100 percent sure” of running for Congress under his own People’s Champ Movement in Sarangani province in the May 2010 general elections.

Interviewed by Vice President Noli de Castro on Saturday over his radio program, “Para sa iyo, Bayan,” Pacquiao said he was in Sarangani to support the filing of the certificates of candidacy of “my mayors” who will run in the local elections.

He said he would also file his COC once the party’s members have all filed theirs.

“Yes, kaya nga ako nandito para sa filing ng miyembro. Unahin ko muna sila. Tapos ako [Yes, that’s why I’m here first for the filing of the members. I will let them file first before I do],” he told De Castro.

But he said his party was not yet sure whether to coalesce with other parties or support any particular candidate on the national level.

Pacquiao thanked the people for supporting him in all his fights, and asked the people of Sarangani to also support him in his second shot at politics. He ran and lost in 2007 when he ran for Congress in General Santos, losing to incumbent Darlene Antonino Custodio.

On the negotiations for his possible fight against former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao confirmed that the talks between their promoters have indeed started.

"Nag-uusap na sila nina Bob Arum at Mayweather promoter [Bob Arum and Mayweather's promoter are now talking]," Pacquiao said, adding he will be informed of the initial talks’ results by next month.

Pacquiao boasted that his fights scored more on pay per view than Mayweather’s.

The Home Box Office Sports on Friday announced that Pacquiao's 12th-round technical knockout of Puerto Rican Cotto last weekend was the top-drawing pay-per-view of 2009 with 1.24 million purchases worth US$70 million in revenue.

The figure was way higher than the 1.05 million pay-per-view generated by the recent fight between Mayweather and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, who has also been beaten by Pacquiao.

Coach Freddie Roach admitted that they would be engaged in very tough negotiations with Mayweather because the American boxer believed that he was the attraction and deserved more money.


Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091121-237558/Pacquiao-confirms-run-for-congressional-seat