For the past few days, I've been ranting to my friend, Ailee about Pacquiao and his stupid political plans. I was not particularly happy when Pacquiao announced his intention to run for congress (this is putting it mildly, my texts to Ailee were less subdued).
I hate the fact that a particularly shameless politician (slash mayor, slash presidential pet, slash floral shirt junkie) from Manila is taking advantage of Pacquiao's naivety (or stupidity, depending on my mood). This politician, who labeled himself as Pacquiao's political adviser, injected useless crap into the boxer's puny brain and convinced him to run for congress, when he should have known better. Hello! To begin with, Pacquiao shouldn't have a political adviser! He is a BOXER, not a politician.
To justify Pacquiao's political plans, some of his supporters claim that he is the much needed unifying factor for our country. They say that he unifies us in a way like no other. Fine. I must admit, Pacquiao does unify the nation. But he does this only when he goes inside the boxing ring to fight against a foreigner. Of course, we would be unified in that sense. Hello! When a fellow Filipino's up against a non-FIlipino, instinct would dictate that we cheer for our fellow Filipino. It's that simple. His supporters would like to make it seem more profound, but it really is as simple as that. Try pitting Pacquiao against another high-profile Filipino boxer, and all claims of unity will go down in flames.
What makes the whole thing bearable (I guess) is the fact that I am not alone. A lot of Filipinos have reacted negatively towards Pacquiao's political ambition. The incident in Cebu (where spectators booed Pacquiao) is proof that Filipinos aren't as stupid and naive as some would like to think. Even if we're the nation that elected Joseph Estrada into office, some crap (like Pacquiao running for congress) is just too nonsensical to take even for us Filipinos.
It is also frustrating to see that Manny is too darned stupid (or naive, again, depending on my mood) to see what really is happening-- these politicians (the one from Manila in particular) are just taking advantage of him. These politicians don't think Pacquiao can legislate. They don't think he has the skills for public office. They just want to ride on his popularity. This was made crystal clear when the politician from Manila immediately released a statement after the Cebu incident saying he actually discouraged Manny from pursuing his political plans... Yeah, right! A futile attempt to save face. That's that. And Pacquiao, who is too busy basking in his glory, cannot see this even if it stares him in the face.
Point is, Pacquiao should stay in boxing. That's where he belongs. Humility and common sense should teach him to stick to the field that has given him all the fame and glory. But then again, maybe asking for humility and common sense is asking too much already...
I hate the fact that a particularly shameless politician (slash mayor, slash presidential pet, slash floral shirt junkie) from Manila is taking advantage of Pacquiao's naivety (or stupidity, depending on my mood). This politician, who labeled himself as Pacquiao's political adviser, injected useless crap into the boxer's puny brain and convinced him to run for congress, when he should have known better. Hello! To begin with, Pacquiao shouldn't have a political adviser! He is a BOXER, not a politician.
To justify Pacquiao's political plans, some of his supporters claim that he is the much needed unifying factor for our country. They say that he unifies us in a way like no other. Fine. I must admit, Pacquiao does unify the nation. But he does this only when he goes inside the boxing ring to fight against a foreigner. Of course, we would be unified in that sense. Hello! When a fellow Filipino's up against a non-FIlipino, instinct would dictate that we cheer for our fellow Filipino. It's that simple. His supporters would like to make it seem more profound, but it really is as simple as that. Try pitting Pacquiao against another high-profile Filipino boxer, and all claims of unity will go down in flames.
What makes the whole thing bearable (I guess) is the fact that I am not alone. A lot of Filipinos have reacted negatively towards Pacquiao's political ambition. The incident in Cebu (where spectators booed Pacquiao) is proof that Filipinos aren't as stupid and naive as some would like to think. Even if we're the nation that elected Joseph Estrada into office, some crap (like Pacquiao running for congress) is just too nonsensical to take even for us Filipinos.
It is also frustrating to see that Manny is too darned stupid (or naive, again, depending on my mood) to see what really is happening-- these politicians (the one from Manila in particular) are just taking advantage of him. These politicians don't think Pacquiao can legislate. They don't think he has the skills for public office. They just want to ride on his popularity. This was made crystal clear when the politician from Manila immediately released a statement after the Cebu incident saying he actually discouraged Manny from pursuing his political plans... Yeah, right! A futile attempt to save face. That's that. And Pacquiao, who is too busy basking in his glory, cannot see this even if it stares him in the face.
Point is, Pacquiao should stay in boxing. That's where he belongs. Humility and common sense should teach him to stick to the field that has given him all the fame and glory. But then again, maybe asking for humility and common sense is asking too much already...
