Philippine boxing star Manny Pacquiao says he is to run for president in next year’s election. He was nominated as a candidate by a faction of the ruling party, PDP-Laban.
On top of a glittering career as a fighter, Mr Pacquiao, 42, is a senator in the Philippines’ parliament.
Incumbent Rodrigo Duterte is barred from another term but has been picked by a rival party faction to run for vice-president, a move critics say is an attempt to cling to power.
As a boxer, Mr Pacquiao won world titles in an unprecedented eight different weight divisions. He lost his most recent bout against a Cuban opponent and said he was considering retiring.
Accepting the nomination, he said: “I am a fighter, and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring.”
Mr Pacquiao has pledged to campaign against poverty and corruption. He is a popular figure in his home country but faces an uphill battle, trailing in opinion polls consistently topped by Sara Duterte-Carpio.
It is not clear which of the PDP-Laban factions will be recognised by the country’s electoral commission for the 2022 election.
No comments:
Post a Comment