Manny Pacquiao: Good boxer, bad politician

For millions of Filipinos, Manny Pacquiao is not just a boxer, but an inspiration. He is also a philanthropist who often shares his wealth with the poor in his home province of Sarangani, where he has been elected and re-elected to Congress for the past six years.

Sarangani is one of the Philippines’ poorer provinces, with a poverty rate of over 45 percent. He has donated fishing boats and water buffalos to plough fields with. Being a school dropout himself, Manny funds college scholarships. He has helped hundreds of students who would never have gone to college without financial support.

After the mega fight with Mayweather, which took place on May 2, he may be focusing on running for his third and final term as a congressman seat unless he wants to run for another office, such as that of a senator. Or wait until he is old enough and run for presidency.

But then Manny sucks at being a politician. He is better at boxing and being a philanthropist.

After nearly six years in office, the 36-year-old boxing hero has yet to get a single bill through committee. Pacquiao has filed about a dozen bills as congressman but none has passed any of the committees they have been referred to. The bills include several pertaining to boxing, sports development and health, including one to build a provincial hospital.

Last year, he was present in Congress for just four days. Probably, he was busy training for the big fight with Mayweather. But what happened in the other years before then?

Public administration professor, Prospero de Vera, who has served as consultant to other legislators said Manny was denying his constituents representation.

The Prof said of Manny’s attitude towards political responsibility: “He has a problem understanding what representation means,” said de Vera. “What is worrisome is that he doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.”

But some are not bothered by Manny’s political deformity. Rep. Ben Evardone, a former provincial governor and member of the administration Liberal Party, believes Manny is doing the right thing. He defends Pacquiao’s absences in Congress, saying: “being in Congress, making noise” is not as important as delivering public services.

“What is important is you bring home the bacon, as they say,” he said, referring to the number of school houses, irrigation canals and roads that people expect to be built in their district with their congressman’s help. “The fact that he is bringing glory to our country, he is able to unify, he is putting our country on the map, overshadows everything, his shortcomings.”

But Manny’s former political supporter, Roulette de Leon, a former city planning staff member and consultant on community development and management, who supported Pacquiao’s first and unsuccessful foray into politics in the 2007 congressional election in General Santos city, where Pacquiao began his boxing career is saying Manny should hold off for now, since he lacks the time for politics.

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