In the boxing ring, everyone is afraid to face Manny Pacquiao.
However, in the political arena, Pacman has called on his wife Jinkee, whose parents, siblings and friends, have come in full force to campaign for the world’s only seven-division champ.
Pacquiao, 32, is running for a seat in the House of Representatives in Sarangani province, against a political giant Roy Chiongbian, son of former Rep. James Chiongbian.
Pacquiao’s family especially Jinkee, were barely visible when he first ran for office in 2007. They have been very active, visiting various parts of the province.
Jinkee says she is confident her husband can make a difference—especially in the life of poor residents.
“We talked about it and I believe in his good intentions to serve the people of Sarangani,” she says. “Manny and I can’t let our supporters down. The people need help.”
Crowd-drawer
With only a few weeks before Election Day, Jinkee has been campaigning for her husband like a seasoned politician. She has toured the public market, shaking hands with the people and has gone on a house-to-house campaign, soliciting votes.
On Thursday, while Manny was campaigning in Glan, on the eastern part of Sarangani, Jinkee and her group went southward, visiting remote areas, including Malungon town.
There, she was met by Delia Constantino, chair of the vote-rich village of Malandag.
Constantino, mother of incumbent Malungon Mayor Bongbong Constantino, says Jinkee’s decision to join the campaign is a big boost to Manny’s candidacy.
“She’s down-to-earth and a crowd drawer like Manny Pacquiao,” she says.
“We are actually ahead in the surveys but now we really have to maximize our efforts and time,” Jinkee reveals.
Give him a chance
In a campaign stump held early this month at the plaza of Malapatan town, 10,000 people drenched by the rain waited patiently for a glimpse of their idol Pacquiao and to hear his political platform.
The billionaire candidate explained how he would bring about development to the resource-rich yet poverty-stricken province. He asked them to give him a chance to serve “even for just one term.”
One of the world’s richest athletes, Pacquiao said it was hurting him to see politicians spending so much in the campaign, “at babawiin sa kurakot pag nanalo (only to recoup their expenses through corruption when they win).”
Unfazed
In the boxing world, Pacquiao is a giant, but in this election, he is perceived by his opponents as a political pygmy—with little experience and academic qualifications.
His rival in the congressional race, first-timer Roy Chiongbian is regarded as a political behemoth because of his qualifications and political machinery.
A corporate executive, he is one of the youngest scions of the powerful Chiongbians and known as the “overseer” of the family shipping and packaging business. His late father, Rep. James Chiongbian, was a kingmaker in the province during the martial law years in the 1970s.
Pacquiao, however, is unfazed. He loves being the underdog.
He has conquered bigger opponents in the boxing ring to become the first ever seven-division world champion. He is also aware that he is treading on a totally different ground.
Listed by Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential people in 2009, Pacquiao has mesmerized Sarangani voters (estimated to be 239,000). Fans and supporters swarm around him wherever he goes.
How to make a difference
“I’ll show you how to make a big difference. I want you all to idolize me not just in the ring but above all, in public service,” Pacquiao tells the crowd in Glan town on Thursday.
The boxing superstar has delivered issue-based speeches on the campaign trail. He shuns personal attacks practiced by traditional politicians.
Pacquiao is also the only candidate who can match the Chiongbians’ resources. He is popular and charismatic. He is also reportedly winning the hearts of people in identified bailiwicks of his rival candidate.
He has succeeded in knocking down the very foundation of the Chiongbians’ political machinery. Many of the family’s trusted political allies—the Constantinos of Malungon, the Singcoys of Malapatan, the Grafilos of Alabel, and the Yaps of Glan—have jumped on the Pacman bandwagon.
Not the first
When Pacquiao first tried his luck in politics in 2007, he got whipped. Darlene Antonino-Custodio knocked him out of the race for a congressional seat in the first district of South Cotabato.
Lack of preparation and the absence of a strong political organization gave him his first experience of bitter defeat.
He also learned an important lesson—popularity and money alone do not guarantee a congressional seat.
These days, Pacquiao has become more prudent when it comes to campaign spending. He has even turned down campaign funds offered by Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Manny Villar.
Prioritize the poor
He says he doesn’t want to be beholden to anyone.
“I joined the party not because of money. Just like me, Villar started from scratch. If he wins, I will ask him to prioritize the poor,” Pacquiao said in a speech during his homecoming in the province.
Compared to his 2007 election campaign, Pacquiao is a political tot no more.
He has endeared himself to religious groups, environmentalists and militants who are fighting to stop the construction of a 200-megawatt coal-fed power plant.
As head of the Mindanao Task Force-Luwas Kinaiyahan (Save Environment), Pacquiao has vowed to protect the environment against investors who put profit over and above people’s health.
He also wants to instill in the minds of residents that the poor, just like the rich, can lead. He has worked and struggled hard to free himself and his family from poverty. His one purpose in running for public office, he says, is to help the poor.
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