Pacquiao throws first punch in political battle for Sarangani

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao has thrown the first punch in his upcoming political battle against a well-known clan in Sarangani, signaling the start of election season in the southern province. Pacquiao will once again try his luck in the political ring in next year’s elections, this time running in the lone congressional district of Sarangani where he is expected to face a member of the Chiongbian family. The world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, in an interview aired in GMA’s Weekend Report, said the main reason he is running in Sarangani is that he failed to see any significant change during the Chiongbians' 14-year reign in the House of Representatives accusing the long-time political clan of doing nothing to uplift the lives of the poor. “Kung satisfied ako siguro sa ginagawa nila ‘di na ako tatakbo dahil masaya ako. Susuportahan ko na lang sila," said Pacquiao. “Nakita ko naman na kulang talaga. In how many years, wala silang naitulong sa mga tao," he added. The statement did not sit well with incumbent Rep. Erwin Chiongbian, who vowed that his family would not give up the congressional post easily. The Chiongbians are known as a political dynasty in Sarangani. The late James L. Chiongbian is considered as the father of the province, having helped pass House Bill 00046 that created Sarangani as a separate province from South Cotabato. The three-term lawmaker said a member of his family would run in the 2010 elections to replace him in the House of Representatives. “That’s our intention because we cannot abandon the province," he said. Even as he acknowledged that Pacquiao has the fame and resources to launch a formidable campaign, Chiongbian said the people of Sarangani province would ultimately be the ones to decide in the 2010 elections. “This is politics. It's different from boxing. If it’s boxing, I give up," said the 65-year-old lawmaker. Pacquiao has announced his intention of seeking a congressional seat in Sarangani, his wife Jinkee’s province, in the 2010 national elections. The reigning International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight champion’s party, the People's Champ Movement (PCM), has been accredited by the Commission on Elections at the local level. Pacquiao ran for a congressional seat in 2007 in the first district of South Cotabato as an adopted member of Kampi, the political party of President Gloria Arroyo. However, he was knocked out by re-electionist Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who handily beat the boxing champ with a margin of more than 60,000 votes. - JONATHAN PEREZ, GMANews.TV