A Plea to Manny
I have long ago thrown away the memory of the incident that made me a “controversial blogger” because of my callousness and disregard for other people’s feelings1. It’s true, I do not like Philippine boxing champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and his sport, and that will not change. But it has nothing to do with the issue at hand: Pacman wants to become a politician. I’m impressed. Not.
Dislike for Pacman aside, I wish he wouldn’t seek for any elective post this coming May elections. I’m saying this not because of his incapability to handle such a big responsibility2, but because he’d be brutally and blatantly used by the trapos for their own greedy wants, and maybe even someday become one of them. This isn’t an issue of money, but rather, of power - power over the people who look up to him as their hero, in more ways than one.
So far, Pacman’s main problem revolves around whether to run for mayor or congressman of his hometown. If you ask me, he should be thinking about how to quit being an underdog of the Arroyo administration, and instead start focusing on how he can really help the Filipinos. Diving into politics is not the way. Maybe he can set up a foundation, a hospital, a school, whatever fits his taste, something, just something, other than flushing millions of pesos down the drain just for his campaign. He can help the Filipinos even without running for the office - doesn’t he realize that?!
Kuya Chris has written about this twice already. I completely agree with him, and I’m sure a lot of you share the same sentiments.
yes, you may be a better politician than most, but please be a better person instead…
Far From Neutral also voices out his opinion.
You’ll win the elections — current voting trends being what it is — but you’ll lose more than just your dignity. You’re already a boxing hero. Don’t be a political villain.
Yes, ours is a free country. If he wants to run, let him. It’s his right as a Philippine citizen. Celebrity politicians are fast becoming a trend anyway. But do his fans really want their idol to commit a social suicide with his decision to join in the lion’s den? Really, if his fans say that he should not run for office, I hope they will be true enough to their words to NOT vote for him if he does.
A manifesto is currently on the works. I hope the differences I’ve had with many people will be set aside. Sign the manifesto if you want to save Manny Pacquiao - a boxing icon, your idol, your hero - from the political wrath in the Philippines.
PS: As a vow to myself to be more friendly, I shall bloghop. 
And because I badly need money, a sponsor link. Most of you know about the death of two of my babies late last year. It was, well, traumatic. When we went out last Sunday, my mother and I saw that the pet shop at the uppermost floor of SM has extended to also have a dog parlor. Astig! Now I plan that when I get another dog *looks at Lexie*, I’d enter him/her into a dog boarding house. I swear.
LOL about celebrity politicians being the trend… The current governor for the state I live in is a celebrity… Haha…
Its funny how some people wake up one day and think “I know I’ll be a politican today”, idiots,
*hugs back*
actually, kahit di ka naman tumakbo bilang politician you can still help di ba? kung talagang gusto mong makatulong hinde sagot ang pag sali sa politics..gagamitin lang sya ng iba pang politician na ang hangad ay para lang sa sariling kapakanan..
uy shari.. can i have your address??? your physical address if you dont mind??? email mo ako ha!
takecare
[...] More: Continued here…. [...]
Chau: *groans* See? I’m right. It is a trend! Haha!
Emma: Haha, well, we don’t all have “the calling” as soon as we were born.
Ate Rose: Damn right! Say that to Pacman though. *sighs* Okay, will email you.
I said that before to him. But he did not listen. Now I really do not like him. I’ll never get excited anymore for his fights. no more. tampo na ako…
Our mayor is Vilma Santos. Hooray!
i never really understood why celebrities want to get involved in politics. do they actually bealieve that they can make a difference or is it because they were forgotten and want ppl to remember them for a very long time. i dont know the ppl youre talking about, simply because im ignorant and live really far away from the Phillipines, but i still believe that celebrities should do what they do best. be celebrities.
Response to :
Yeah. I wish he would do that instead. I think he’ll be more respected that way. And I don’t really want to discuss the state of politics here. It’s just so messed up!
We are doomed. My dad and I were discussing this last night. Magtatapon lang siya ng pera.
Even his own mother is against his going into politics.
I wouldn’t vote for me a boxer turned politician either. There are just way too many ‘celebrity’ politicians nowadays. I mean..look at Arnold Schwarznegger. XD
sira-ulo yan kapag kumandidato pa yan!
ibig lang sabihin nun gusto niya talaga pumapel sa history ng pilipinas…
argh! celebrity politicians! it’s so sickening!!!
well there you have it, Manny just proved he brought your blog post upon himself. puppetry at its best
btw, ngayon ko lang naintindihan ung kwento mo after last wk’s post-blogparteeh07 lunch re: manny hahah. sikat ka pala, dapat nagpa-autograph ako. heheh.
Mr Nice Ash: I guess many people feel the same way. But still, I think that the people’s support for him as a boxer will not cease.
Renee: She’s been at it a while, but can Manny meet up to her standards?
Anna: The thing with Manny Pacquiao here is not for fame either. He’s already very famous in the country because he has “made history”.
Anne: True. But I get tired of just being a spectator. *sighs*
Lexie: This time, mothers know best, don’t you agree?
Alex: I wouldn’t vote for a celebrity either - except that I’m not a registered voter, hehe!
Dotep: Pacquiao has already made history. But maybe you’re right. Now he wants to become known as a crooked politician.
Mae: Sinabi mo pa!
Jeff:
Response to :
Damn right you are! Haha, autograph ka dyan. Eek! “Sikat” siguro ako sa hanay ng Pacman fans, balahurain ko ba naman idol nila eh. Pero nakalimutan ko na rin yun.
[...] post, and other posts like it, is not targetted against Manny, but targetted against his willingness to be used by [...]
i completely agree.. i used to really love watching him breaking jaws inside the ring but the moment i heard he was “game” for politics, i started to hate him.
Hey, hey. Akala ko ba he said, “Hindi ako tatakbo sa election” I should’ve recorded that from TV! Damn it! He’s just like GMA! Walang isang salita. No word of honor! Goodness! Sabagay, politicians DOEN”T HAVE ANY HONOR left in them, anyway!
Regarding me voting, it depends on his platform, of course. I am a fair person when it comes to that, I am giving him the benefit of the doubt that he can manage.
Basta sa Pilipinas botohan tiyak magulo at madrama parang pelikula. Kung gusto talagang tumulong ni Pacman sana noon pa, ilang beses na siyang nananalo pero hindi ko masyado na narinig kung nagbigay ba cia ng donation sa ilang charity dito sa atin. Malakas ang loob niang tumakbo dahil alam niang paborito cia ng masa.
Well, I landed on your site by following a link on someone else’s blog… because of that Manny post.
For what it’s worth, I agreed with everything you said and the manner of your delivery.
I’m Filipino-Canadian and I’m far removed from current events and culture in the Philippines (unless I’m watching this Filipino cable show my parents subscribed to — and most of it, I don’t get… every show seems like a “game show”) But, heck… even my Dad worships that dude which is a pain in my butt since he’s always asking me to find videos on the Internet of Manny’s latest fight. What a waste of bandwidth and my time. The things you do for your beloved parents.
Response to :
Kaya ng “tabloid” eh. Tabloids are meant to be OA para kumagat sa masa.
Err, unfortunately I have no opinion about this matter. I’m currently following politics in my own country The Netherlands
Still - I’m not really a big fan of celebrities turning into politicians… goodluck with the whole issue!
I don’t really care about manny either.
at all.
Um…I cannot think of what might happen to our country if he becomes a politician. :|
Fia: Hehe, don’t hate him. Hate his being gullible.
Euri: Well, this early we’re seeing that he’s got what it takes to be a full-pledged trapo, right? Platforms. Do they ever get fulfilled? And really, he won’t be the one making it anyway. Hmm, yeah, PinoySpy admitted to sensationalizing the issue because “PinoySpy is all about sensationalism.”
Rachel: True. That’s what I’ve been thinking as well. He could’ve long ago helped the Filipinos, besides the inspiration he provides, of course.
Fruityoaty: I won’t hold this against people who love boxing and Pacman, but really, Pacman is NOT for politics. He’s being used. And he’s enjoying it.
Aleida: Unfortunately, many Filipinos want celebrities to be politicians. And many politicians want celebrities on their side. Uhm, can I say for popularity’s sake?
Aaron: Me too. But when it comes to politics, it’s a different story altogether.
Ellie: My mind’s imagining things - not good.
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I totally agree.
Response to 2697:
that ought to be the kind of approach we all should apply, i think. wrote about this on my blog: focus on issues, not personalities. as much as i think manny will make a bad politician, if he does come up with a good program and follows through, then i wish him luck
This was already an issue months ago, when I heard this over AM radio (yes, AM band). I was compelled to call and share my thoughts– that Manny should run. Why? Abangan!
Denmark is so small that you are famous no matter what you say in public - which means that if you are just a bit controversial as a politician you soon end up in commercials for chewing gum as well…
Hindi talaga ako natutuwa sa pagtakbo niya as a mayor. Swear. You’re right. He can help the FIlipino people without turning into a politician.
I was not surprised at all when I first heard this news. I was expecting it.
Urgh. His reason for deciding to run in the coming May polls is insufficient. He can still do whatever he is planning to do without even getting into an office. What’s more, malayo pang mabahiran ng dugo ang pangalan niya nun.
politics is not the answer kung gusto tumulong, baka makagulo lang lalo sa estado ng pinas pag nakisali pa….
Jorge: I still don’t think a good program is enough. All politicians have good programs/platforms, pero wala namang nangyayari. “[...] and [he] follows through” So ihahalal muna siya to know if he really is true to his word.
Regnard: Nooooo! Pray tell, why?!
Nan: And here we have someone who endorses beer.
Xyla: Sino ba? Haaay….
Christian: I wasn’t really that surprised. Nakakainis lang kasi nagpapagamit na siya.
Chezka: Tell Pacman that.
naks si pacman na naman ah! hate mo talaga sya noh? hehehe
sa susunod yong iba na naman jan
ang tirahin mo hehhe
Sabi sa news, hindi daw siya qualified kasi may problem siya sa residential thingie. Ano na update doon?
Kay pookyaw na lang ako!
LOL!!!!!11111juanjuan
Shari: in the interests of democracy, I can’t outrightly say: Manny, you cannot run. I can only say: Manny, you should not. But that’s my knee-jerk bias talking. He’s entitled to run - that’s every man’s right. And we’re entitled to - at the very least - a platform upon which to judge his capabilities. Would having a platform be enough, for me? Like in your case, probably not, my biases run deep. But it *would* help if he had one.
Ethel: Yes, I do, but that’s beside the point here. Like I’ve mentioned, my feelings towards him have nothing to do with the issue.
Laasya: That issue has been clarified about 2 days ago? Yesterday. Tsaka isa pa, gagawan at gagawan ng paraan yan.
Jorge: And that’s what I’m saying: Manny, you should not run. Clearly, some people think that this “plea” is aired just because I don’t like him, but sometimes we just have to see through the mass hysteria, don’t you think? Believe me, Pacman and his minions will come up with a good platform. It’s up to the masses to decide if he can really do the job. Pero sana, SANA, wag na lang siyang tumakbo.
pwede ba? tigilan nga ang politics. heh. i like this post, maingat ka sa words. hehehe. ^^ yeah.. he should just stick with boxing. wag nang politics. pero i dont think he’ll do it naman eh. ewan ko lang. matakot naman sana sha sa responsibility.
Uh oh. Expect a barrage of hate comments soon. Haha.
Seriously, yeah, Manny doesn’t belong there. But if worse comes to worst that he runs and wins, then he’d definitely be our future president, knowing the masa’s mentality and all. Fuck now that’s totally freaky.
I’ve written about my misgivings about Pacquiao ages ago, though I wasn’t particularly stoned to death for it.
His running just pretty much ices the whole deal for me. I grew up on one Luisito Espinosa. As I see a guy like him practically living hand to mouth, I find the ostentatiousness of Mr. Pacquiao a glaring contrast to his so-called nationalistic pride.
It’s so sad how Philippine politics is so tightly knitted to Showbiz, Sports and anything you see on TV. I bet if it’s allowed, JOLLIBEE WOULD BE PRESIDENT. Waaah!
*sigh*
as usual.. nakakasira na ng ulo ang politics sa tin.. ano na namang mangyayari dito? mananalo siya, then what? may magagawa ba siyang mabuti, or at the very least.. hindi ba sya magcocorrupt din lang.. alam na natin ang sagot.. sa sobrang lungkot, sa sobrang asar.. nakakatawa na lang talaga
Kawawa talaga tayo… parati na lang ganito sa tin. We are a leaderless society. What he have are pretenders!!!
Nina: Hay naku, kahit naman anong ingat ang gawin ko sa pagsusulat, titirahin pa rin ako. *shrugs*
Talamasca: Already did.
And I know. 
Marcelle: Still alive here. And I agree.
Hermie: Haha hey, how about Ronald McDonald haha!
Ann: Yeah, makes someone think. I mean, all people do think about it, but in the end, vote for him anyway. “The lesser of the two evils.”
Sef: *sighs*
why are you so judgmental? kung yung mga matatalino nga walang magawa, bigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang mga bobo!
Richard Gomez for senator!
Rico J. Puno for senator!
Mabuhay ka Manny!
I don’t know if this is a compliment to Manny or an insult, honestly!
LOL.
Response to 2761:
Response to 2761:
this is not what we meant… i know, i know… you are simply being sarcastic… but people might misconstrue and think that we think Manny is ‘bobo’ [i cannot say the same for Richard and Rico, though]… no wo don’t… just that we think he can do more if he doesn’t run for any elective office…