Manny Pacquiao Enters the Ring: A Celebrity Bid for the Philippine Presidency
Manny Pacquiao Enters the Ring: A Celebrity Bid for the Philippine Presidency
Last week, Manny Pacquiao announced that he is running for president of the Philippines. The boxer has been in politics for a decade, and his conservative Catholic upbringing, international fame, and alignment with current president Rodrigo Duterte gives him a chance at winning on May 9th, 2022. However, Pacquiao has recently changed his tune about his close friend and political ally Duterte, accusing his government of rampant corruption in response to the COVID crisis. This criticism is a large departure from his typically staunch support of the president: in 2016, Pacquiao defended Duterte’s handling of the drug crisis, claiming that he was “anointed by God to end the country’s drug menace” (Al Jazeera). This oppositional stance has placed Pacquiao in a precarious position. Duterte’s approval rating is still astronomically high, and he has been punching back at Pacquiao as of late, telling him to “study harder” and that he’s “punch-drunk” (Time).
Further complicating the race, Duterte intends to maintain his grip on power. Philippine law limits the president to one six-year term, but Duterte is attempting to get himself on a rival faction’s ticket as vice president, with his trusted aide Bong Go as president. If successful, he would likely wield as much power as he does now. And the current president is not the only Duterte in the ring. Rodrigo’s daughter Sara, who has not yet declared a bid for the presidency, consistently KO’s Pacquiao in the polls (BBC). While she has said that she will not run if her father decides to run as vice president, she would be a formidable opponent if the president is not able to secure a spot on a ticket.
Both Duterte and Pacquiao’s voter bases are in Mindanao, and if both run, they may split the island, giving a dark horse a chance to claim the presidency. And with Duterte’s poor response to the pandemic, it is possible that another candidate—boxer or otherwise—will triumph at the polls in May. Pacquiao’s support of Duterte’s extrajudicial killings, homophobia, and lack of accomplishments as a senator have liberal pundits hoping that this electoral split of Mindanao will enable a more progressive candidate to ascend to the Philippine presidency.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58614108
https://time.com/6101300/manny-pacquiao-philippines-president/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/20/world/asia/manny-pacquiao-president-philippines.html
Comments
Ben, I’m always intrigued when a celebrity runs for office. It’s a reminder of how charisma and popularity can override competence (think Duterte, Boris Johnson, Trump, etc.). But at the same time, I find myself wondering how much of these tricksters’ “success” can be connected to a long-time failure of government and a large portion of the populace’s feeling they don’t have anything more to lose when things are already bad.
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