The first campaign salvo for the Presidential contest in 2022 was fired, of all people, by international boxing trainer Freddie Roach. In an interview last week, the Hall of Famer Roach had proposed that his favorite former ward, Senator Manny Pacquiao, should instead fight IBF world middleweight undisputed champion Gennady Golovkin, instead of defending his WBA super world welterweight crown against any challenger in his weight division. Roach suggested that Pacquiao should fight the best there is inside the ring. And as far as Roach is concerned, there is no worthier opponent than Golovkin who is regarded by boxing aficionados as the best pound-for-pound fighter at present.
The Pacman once fought at 154-lb when he challenged the 5’11” Antonio Margarito and wrested from him the super welterweight crown. Roach believes that Pacquiao can put up a good fight against the fearsome Golovkin. His faith in Pacquiao has not been diminished by years. Pacquiao is now 41 but Roach is convinced that despite Pacquiao’s unparalleled record of holding titles in eight different divisions—in a class of his own—Pacquiao still “desires to be the best there is” by fighting the best in the world. But that is not the real story.
After trying to sell the super match between Pacquiao and Golovkin, Roach made a ringing endorsement of Pacquiao’s dream to serve as President of the Philippines. “He wants to make his country better, and he wants to improve everything. He works hard, and he’ll do the best he can for everybody out there. I think he’s good for the country, and I think he’ll be a great President. I’d vote for him.”
Pacquiao’s alleged desire to become the president of our county was confirmed by his former promoter, Bob Arum, who claimed that the senator admitted to him his intention to seek the presidency in 2022. So far, Senator Pacquiao has kept mum about it.
Well, why not? We’ve had various characters serving as president of our country since the end of the Second World War. We had five lawyers, a mechanic, a housewife, a soldier, an actor, an economist, a son of a former president, and now a former fiscal and city mayor. A boxer will enrich the cast. No profession or calling has the monopoly of talents required of a good president. Pacquiao is a thinking boxer and he conquers his ring opponents not just by raw courage and power. He has fought bigger and more intimidating boxers and bested them all—Miguel Cotto, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and many other future Hall of Famers. Some of them even hung up their gloves after their humiliating defeat at the hands of Pacquiao.
Pacquiao has his heart in the right places. He’s benevolent and charitable. He has earned his billions by the dint of hard work and honest labor. He has shared his blessings with the unfortunate, even when he was not yet in government. Pacquiao is one of the recognizable names in sports. He is spoken about in the same breath as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and Sugar Ray Robinson. He has remained humble notwithstanding his extraordinary achievements. His formidable feat inside the ring as the only eight-division titleholder is unequalled and may not be surpassed in the history of boxing. He has a name recall that Filipino voters will easily remember when they enter the polling precincts. His name will spellbind the masa, the working men, the informal settlers and the common tao who all adulate him as their savior and hero. Decent voters will go for candidates with pure and honest intention to serve the people, devoid of any pretense and hypocrisy, and Pacquiao will be their man. He is a man of God despite his brutal calling. He is not violent, duplicitous or a demagogue. Ordinary people identify with him and regard Pacquiao as one of their own who has strived hard and achieved his dream.
Democracy is threatened when one party completely dominates the government and perpetuates itself in power. It is a recipe for abuse and corruption. An effective opposition is imperative to promote “check-and-balance” in the government. What the opposition needs is a winnable candidate whom the people can rally around. Right now, there seems to be no one who answers that bill. I am certain there are better-qualified persons than Pacquiao, but they don’t have his magic name. Many quixotic bids in the past presidential elections had ended up in defeat and oblivion. They were the best presidents the Philippines never had. The people want an electable candidate who embodies their simple aspirations and whose heart beats in unison with theirs.
Political strategists should change the script this time. They should look for a suitable candidate who can capture the presidential plum. Once elected, he can surround himself with the best minds to get things done, but he should set the tone at the top. We’ve had the “best and the brightest” but look where we are now. Why not consider one who possesses the values that matter most and gifted with a strong mass appeal that can command the votes of the electorates. Maybe they should listen to Freddie Roach.
Image credits: AP/Jae C. Hong