Palace official cautions Pacquiao vs joining NP

A Malacañang official on Sunday advised Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao against joining the Nacionalista Party (NP) should he pushes through with his plan to seek a congressional seat in next year’s elections. Presidential adviser on political affairs Gabriel Claudio said Pacquiao would only alienate many of his fans and supporters if he allies himself with a political group. “He [Pacquiao] will not do justice to himself or to the Filipino people to be affiliated with a particular political party because he will alienate himself politically from others who do not belong to that party," he said. No less than NP’s standard bearer, Sen. Manny Villar Jr., had offered the seven-division champion to join his political group, saying arrangements would be made to accommodate Pacquiao’s People’s Champ Movement (PCM) in a coalition with NP.

Claudio said it would be better and wiser if Pacquiao remains "above partisan." “If he must run for a congressional seat in the coming polls, it might be better for Manny to run under the party-list system where he can represent a broader national constituency," he said. He also advised NP “to be more circumspect about its recruitment policies and think of what it might deprive the rest of the Filipino people." Another Malacañang official, however, said they would respect whatever Pacquiao’s decision is. “That is something that is between Manny Villar and Manny Pacquiao. Hindi kami makikialam diyan at hindi po namin mamasamain kung sakaling mangyari iyan (We will not influence his decision or hold it against him if he decides to join NP)," he said. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last Friday gave Pacquiao the Order of Sikatuna rank of Datu for winning his seventh world title last November 15 against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao was also previously named special envoy on peace and unity and tapped as the special Philippine flag carrier during the last Olympics. Pacquiao is also known to be close to Environment Secretary Lito Atienza Jr. and deputy national security adviser Luis “Chavit" Singson, who are both with the Arroyo government. - GMANews.TV