Boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is virtually assured of a seat in the upper house Philippine Senate, according to election results on Tuesday that take him a step closer to his dream of the Philippines presidency.
Pacquiao, 37, whose rise from desperate street kid to boxing superstar has made him one of the nation’s biggest heroes, retired from boxing last month to become a fulltime politician.
Pacquiao has garnered more than 15 million votes, with about 93 percent of precincts reporting on Tuesday. That places him eighth among candidates for 12 Senate seats, and nearly 3 million votes ahead of the candidate in 13th place.
Official results are days away.
Pacquiao placed eighth out of a field of 50 candidates in a national race where the top 12 win a seat in the upper house, a powerful legislative body that has often served as a springboard to higher office.
Regarded as an icon in the impoverished nation, Pacquiao’s boxing matches have regularly brought the country to a standstill.
The high-school dropout has parlayed his sporting successes into a fortune from commercial endorsements, eventually moving into a political career, serving two terms as a congressman.
His foray into government was part of a long-term strategy to become president, a not unrealistic ambition given his wild popularity.
However, his critics have charged that he performed poorly in the Philippine Congress, barely attending sessions, and instead preferring to train for matches, bask in the celebrity limelight and dabble in professional basketball.
Nevertheless, he campaigned actively for the Senate, touring the nation and delivering impassioned speeches recalling his tough upbringing.
“If a leader has not experienced being poor, he cannot truly feel for the poor,” he said at one campaign rally. “The children sleeping on the streets, using cardboard boxes for blankets, I know how that feels. I know how it feels to go hungry for whole day, just drinking water to survive.”
During his campaign, Pacquiao promised to help the poor, improve the lot of farmers and teachers, campaign for free education and — in a nod to his old profession — secure funding for grassroots sports programs.
“Sports doesn’t get any budget. That is why ... we cannot produce a single gold medal,” he said, referring to the Philippines’ long and so far fruitless quest for Olympic gold.
The boxer, a devout evangelical Christian, generated headlines and lost a valuable Nike sponsorship in February when he described homosexuals as “worse than animals” in a TV interview.
However, the comments had far less impact in the Philippines, with surveys showing his popularity slumping only slightly afterward, then quickly recovering.
Answering his critics, who say he is not fit to be a senator because he has little education or track record as an effective lawmaker, Pacquiao has insisted his rags-to-riches story qualifies him for the job.
Additional reporting by AP
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
RSS