Pacquiao’s misplaced generosity

 

Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao

Naming renowned boxer and Saragani Rep. Manny Pacquiao the richest member of the 15th Congress, and, in fact, considered one of the richest man in the Philippines, is not surprising to anybody, here and abroad, who has been following his remarkable career.

Until Pacquiao came along, it has been an accepted reality that Filipino boxers are good, becoming famous and making the country proud – winning Asian and world championship belts in various weights divisions – but sustaining their winning ways after being paid their prize monies has always been questionable. Almost always they end up poor and struggling again.

Pacquiao proved that with the boxer’s winning, it could change a boxer’s fortune – that of being able to live a fulfilling life, and much, much more, but only if you are determined to train much harder and do much better the next time, and follow the strict discipline you will be imposing on yourself.

These are traits that have made Pacquiao unlike any other Filipino boxer – from the time he dropped out of high school at 14 and left for Manila to launch his career in boxing in order to help his mother raise the rest of his 5 siblings, until he became famous and more determined than ever to earn his high school diploma, which he passed in 2007, thus, making him eligible for college education. The rest is history.

Now, an exceedingly rich celebrity and influential at that, Pacquiao has been lured to enter politics, and like a fish thrown to the water, he has adopted well to his new environment and is becoming more of a politician than a boxer.

Obviously, Pacquiao is using his wealth and popularity to the hilt and there is no better place to flaunt it than in Congress, where everybody else is filthy and disgustingly rich.

It was overwhelming, but not surprising at all when reports came out, saying, that Pacquiao has already gifted for Christmas 286 of his peers with expensive Techno Marine watches. Note that the champ is an endorser of this watch.

Rose Tamayo, Pacquiao’s media relations officer, said the watches were “limited edition” TechnoMarine watches with an extra strap bearing the Filipino boxer’s signature.

The pricey watch is said to cost around Php30,000 each. Needless to say that Pacquiao has spent around Php8.5 million, but these are just for the number we know about. Could there be more? Without doubt!

I am not questioning the spirit of giving, especially during the Yuletide season but, surely, I am questioning the motive behind the giving of expensive gifts to the already ‘multipled’ blessed members of Congress.

If it is coming from Pacquiao’s goodness of his heart, then why not give the amount to the needy? Why give to those already wallowing in their own shitty wealth?

Pacquiao’s misplaced generosity simply leaves a foul taste in my mouth. I wonder if this is what his new found religiosity is telling him to do.

What pomposity and what an insensitive jerk he has become!

 

Political dynasty is getting nasty

 

Three years ago I blogged about political dynasty with the title ‘Anti-Political Dynasty Act – doomed to fail.’ You can read it at this link: (https://quierosaber.wordpress.com/tag/anti-political-dynasty-law/).

My observation is that three years after, political dynasty in this country has escalated and has even become a more potent syndicate to block any lobbyist who wants to prohibit or stop the turnover of political leaders coming from the same family tree.

It used to be that the word oligarch was meant to define a very rich, pompous businessman ruling his business empire with a great deal of influence over the political leaders.

These days the reverse is getting to be true. The title now belongs to the elitist political families who have gained wealth and achieved power running for elective positions in both local and national governments and are exercising influence over the businessmen.

The business of being in politics is just a lucrative as a person who, from one generation to another, inherits and succeeds the profitable business conglomerate belonging to his forebears.

This is the essence of political dynasties – treating your political bailiwicks as your family business domain and passing the leadership and authority over these places in a sequential order from one generation to another.

The more the concentration of wealth, power and influence is in the family, the higher the chances of political dynasties to stay longer and get perpetuated.

The question now is: Are political dynasties good or bad?

To the extent that political dynasties are serving the will and interests of the people, then I would consider it good. But that is not all there is to it.

The fact alone that political dynasties are leagues of their own and play on different level fields of political competitions, by virtue of their overwhelming resources, put them in a very advantageous position. Their can never be a fair contest.

Their dictum is, why take the risk of losing a good, high-income business in politics when we can have it for and at all times? Call it greed or unscrupulousness, but the fact is they never had it so good – from one generation to another.

Do people under the dynasty’s realm have a choice? Of course they do, but what percentage of the population belongs to wanting and how many are there for the sake of morality?

What is bad about political dynasties is when the principals allow two members of the family to be in one body, like, the Senate, for instance. Take the case of the Cayetanos and the prospective tandems of the Enriles, the Villars, the Angaras and the Estradas. The House has also the Arroyos of Pampanga, and the Garcias of  Cebu, as examples, and we are just talking on the national level. It is more glaring on the local level.

But what is making the establishment of political oligarch worse and the situation nasty is that it is being emulated by movie actors and actresses and is being taken advantaged knowing that their popularity and wealth can bring them to that height where they could start politics as their alternative business venture and end up later having a dynasty of their own.

This subject worries me no end, because even boxing icon and Rep. Manny Pacquiao is starting to establish his own political dynasty.

What a bomber!

 

Strategy and stratagem for political expediency

 

United Nationalist Alliance (UNA): A Binay – Estrada political tie-up

There are many ways by which a person can be called a political opportunist.

Whether the description is disgraceful and derogatory depends on how the politician is perceived to be using his/her shrewdness in attaining the success of his/her political agenda.

Lately, we have seen national and local politicians hugging the limelight in all types of media mouthing their political plans, making political tie-ups and seeking political patronage.

This, in the wake of the most publicized political alliance in the country today between Vice President Jejomar Binay’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

The new party name given to this coalition is United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

It is the alliance of these two well known populist leaders that is so enticing to the aspiring politicians in both local and national levels, the re-electionists and to some ‘comebacking’ politicians, who wants to ride on the popularity of Estrada and Binay.

UNA is perceived by many now to be the political opposition party that will challenge the leadership of President Benigno Aquino’s Liberal Party in the coming 2013 congressional elections and the 2016 presidential elections.

Billionaire boxer-politician Rep. Manny Pacquiao

Thus, as early as now, we are already seeing politicians of all colors sashaying towards the political platform of UNA for political expediency.

Political expediency is a move that makes it politically advantageous for a politician or a party for that matter, rather than for what is right or just. It is a self-serving political action.

We have political strategy and we have political stratagem.

Politicians, for instance, like re-electionist senator Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero, come-backing former senators Ernesto Maceda and Juan Miguel Zubiri and senatorial aspirant Zambales representative Mitos Magsaysay are joining UNA as their political strategy in achieving their vision of becoming senators of the realm in the 2013 elections. They need a party that could assure their victory in the coming 2013 elections, thus, fulfilling their political ambitions. Even billionaire boxer-politician Rep. Manny Pacquiao has sought to be under the umbrella of UNA for political expediency, although everybody knows that his popularity and wealth will surely get him to where he wants to go politically.

Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia

On the other hand, we are also aware that Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia has been invited and, in fact, has already accepted the proposal of no less than Vice President Jejomar Binay to run as a senatorial candidate under UNA in the coming 2013 elections.

The difference, however, is that not only is she using UNA as a political strategy, but she is also complementing her candidacy with political stratagem.

For how else could one describe Gwen’s move of transferring her voter’s registration to Barili in the 3^rd congressional district as a confirmation of her earlier political revelation that running for a congressional seat is one of her options?

What this means is that if she feels it is an uphill battle for her among the senatorial candidates to be assuredly elected, then she could always slide down and run instead for congress filling up the position to be vacated by her younger brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia.

Now, this is what you call political stratagem – a cleverly contrived trick for gaining an end.

This is political opportunism of the first order.

 

Filipinos feel insulted as Imelda declared second richest

Rep. Imelda Marcos with children Bongbong and Imee

We understand how Rep. Manny Pacquiao got his 1.3 billion pesos in net worth for 2011, thus, making him the richest among Philippine politicians.

But for Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, who, together with her late despotic husband, has historically done more harm than good to this country during their 20 years in power, not only by scandalously enriching themselves and leaving the coffers of the government dry, but also deplorably committing political repression and human rights violation – to be named second richest among the country’s politicians smacks of insult and arrogance that they have always been known for.

The widow of deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared her wealth at P932.8 million in 2011.

We have all been victims of Marcoses, one time or another during their despotic rule, but I think the most aggrieved are those who have lost loves ones or who have suffered the atrocities/abuses inflicted on them and, who, until now continue to demand for justice.

For how ironic it has been and how devastating the experience is for those afflicted that despite attempts of past administrations and the current government to recover billions allegedly illegally-amassed by her husband and make him account for human rights violations committed during his 20-year rule, the Marcoses have returned, allowed to enter politics again and has since then been flaunting their popularity, their wealth and their influence.

The 82-year-old former first lady even chairs the House committee on millennium development goals, which concerns itself with achieving anti-poverty and women development targets set by the United Nations.

It is said that the compensation bill for the victims of the dark days of martial law has been pending since 1998 and has yet to become a law.

The measure seeks to provide monetary compensation to the martial law victims and to recognize their contribution in the fight against the Marcos dictatorship. It states that funding would come from the recovered ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

The House has approved its own version of the bill, but the Senate version is still at the chamber’s committee on justice.

In the meantime, Imelda and her children are gaining political strength and getting richer everyday.

Having said that, the chance of the senate version to be approved looks more lifeless now than ever since Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is a member of the senate.

How more miserably ironic can it be for the martial law victims!

Bishops calling Pacquiao ‘modern-day saint’

C’mon! Give me a break!

For Christ’s sake, I urge the Philippine bishops: call Manny Pacquiao, the world boxing champ turned politician, anything but a modern-day saint!

The Pacman, a modern-day Filipino saint? Pac him!

Are you guys of the cloth for real? Have you thought and consider profoundly the seriousness of your pronouncements? Are you not being blasphemous for making it appear so easy to called any Tom, Dick and Harry a saint or are you simply arrogating unto yourselves the shallow, self-serving influence of naming who is to be considered a saint or not?

Don’t be too fast and accommodating for your own pleasures, my dear bishops. You are rubbing it in the wrong way.

For as long a Pacquiao hasn’t lost his “cojones”, in no way, shape and form can he be called a ‘modern-day saint’ by the Catholic Church hierarchy.

For as long as Pacquiao remains a politician and be among politicians, his pact with the devil will always be stronger than his hold to his religious commitment, whatever it may be.

Let us not underrate and insult the Filipino saints whom we are venerating now, like San Lorenzo Ruiz and the latest of which is the Blessed Pedro Calungsod. He was young, poor and living a difficult life in a foreign land choosing to work as a catechist and a helper of missionaries, thence, martyred by non-believers for upholding his faith and that of the others.

Can the same be said of Pacquiao now?

Just because Pacquiao revealed recently that he was seriously considering retirement after God appeared to him in a dream in January and told him to quit boxing as it was getting dangerous, he says, and just because the Filipino champ was heeding God’s call and was becoming more detached from ‘worldly pursuits’ as affirmed by his wife, Jinky, would these be enough grounds to qualify him as modern-day saint?

You, bishops, are the ones losing your marbles. Don’t get too excited and do not exaggerate. Don’t blow up things out of proportion. You guys have more the making of modern-day saints because of your vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  But, have you really been true to these sacrifices? You don’t even know how to honor silence and you seem to forget where you belong and what your vocation is all about.

But, can Pacquiao still become a modern-day saint? Of course he can!

Let him give up most of his wealth by distributing it to the impoverished millions in our society or donate it to charitable institutions. Let him immerse in voluntary work that takes care of the sick and the moribund. Let him get out of congress or politics and sacrifice serving the Filipino people in the best capacity that God has given him and that does not mean to be in any religious field. Let him carry the cross of commitment and conviction and real love for his unfortunate brethren. Let him be the male version of Mother Teresa.

His renouncement of material things and worldly living while embracing the work of charity is a step towards what the bishops call ‘modern-day sainthood.

Now the question is: Will Jinky allow Manny to part with his billions?

Your guess is just as good as mine.

Pacquiao eyes vice presidency in 2016

Boxing icon turned politician, Rep. Manny Pacquiao

With the kind of voter’s mentality that we Filipinos are known for, world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao as vice president in 2016 is not a far fetched reality.

During the tumultuous crowd of Mexicans welcoming the Pacquiao-Marquez world press tour, the Filipino icon said that, “Come 2016 I am going to run for vice president… no more boxing at that time.”

I would like to think that Pacquiao, now a congressman from Sarangani, sounded too presumptuous for his own good, but then he is not really known for his arrogance or uppity attitude even now that he has added politics to his luster of achievements.

Thank goodness that 2016 is still five years away for him to gain more knowledge and improve himself if he wants public service to be his life after boxing. With his known determination and fortitude, Pacquiao can be what he wants to be.

It’s not a bad idea that he plans to run for governor in Sarangani province in Mindanao after his stint in congress and before he finally sets his eyes for the vice presidential race in 2016. It is an excellent experience and test before embarking on a bigger responsibility in the executive branch of governance.

Pacquiao’s sincere and unpretentious ways have endeared him to his boxing fans worldwide. The same traits are drawing a lot of followers for the concern and service he is doing to his constituents as a novice congressman.

He has been performing a lot better than those who have been congressmen for a long time and are simply good at grandstanding (like movie actors turned politicians), and making a dynasty out of their coveted positions.

To think that Pacquiao has started honing his higher education and knowledge of parliamentary procedures only very recently, too, is quite amazing. One would think that the enormity of things to be learned would overwhelm his poor upbringing and uneducated self.

But Pacquiao is made of a different stuff. His propensity to improve and his ability to absorb and make perfect what has to be learned to become better and to excel has been proven in his quest for boxing greatness.

What makes Pacquiao head and shoulder above his peers in congress is his big and kind heart that knows how to empathize with the poor and impoverished and understands what has got to be done.

His exposure in congress coupled with his plan for the governorship in Sarangani province in the future are apt baptism of fires that will make him an excellent vice president of this country.

He has made enough money and continues to make oodles of money to last him his lifetime and that of his children’s.

It is simply heartening that the fire in his guts now is not about beating foes and winning more belts, but helping the poor in this country earn their worth and making this country respectable again.

If a politician-lawyer, a plain housewife, a military officer, an actor and an economist can’t turn this country around, maybe a champion boxer can.

 

Pacquiao and his idiotic anti-RH bill stand

Eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao may be a brilliant strategist inside the ring, but does it mean that because he is a congressman now, that he possesses the same acumen when it comes to the floor of Congress and be able to convey and convince people that he is also that good?

Such is his idiotic anti-Reproductive Health (RH) stand.

I am not belittling Pacquiao’s educational attainment for it has been shown that he is trying to improve it and, as it is, he is even doing better compared to those who have been sitting in the House for a long time.

Pacquiao has a lot of common sense, but where he is now, common sense alone will not make you win fights. Not even when one has a lot of chutzpah!

I understand the peoples champ’s religiosity. You can see it not only every time he climbs the ring, but in every occasion he has to go to church, you can see his sincerity and passion of his devotion to God. To God goes the glory for his successes.

Is anything wrong with that? Absolutely nothing!

But, the RH bill is not about ones religiosity. It is about information and education, health and well-being, responsibility and accountability, prerogative and freedom, of couples wanting to have a better quality family life.

It is about giving a valid and educated argument devoid of any religious connotation that will fully convince people whether or not the RH bill shall be passed into law.

Referring to the bible as the sole answer to the country’s population woes is bad enough. Misquoting it is worse for it not only shows ones ignorance, but it makes ones reasoning simplistic and unintelligent in its entirety.

Pacquiao should understand his limitations and should refrain from debates or verbal tussles he is surely to lose because of his lack of understanding of the subject.

It will do him good to heed Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s advice not to get involve and not be used by the Church in the heated RH bill issue.

Pacquiao meets Obama

 

Perhaps never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought that he would, one day, come face-to-face with the most powerful person on earth, the President of the United States of America.

It was no easy fate, therefore, for Philippine boxing hero and now Rep. Manny Pacquiao, to have earned the distinct honor of being invited to the White House by its present occupant, President Barack Obama.

Pacquiao’s superstar status as the eight-division world champion, a fate no other great boxing champions have done before, no doubt paved the way for this auspicious meeting.

Recognizably, what facilitated and made this meeting possible also was Pacquiao’s achievement outside the ring.

Needless to say that Obama has not only been enthralled by the phenomenal rags to riches story of Pacquiao, but, equally charmed by the exceptional ability of the boxing icon to win battles in the political arena as well.

Both being athletes and politicians and passionate in what they do, they can easily relate to one another. And not only that – they, too, have both stunning wives to talk about.

It was reported that Obama gifted Pacquiao with a watch with the presidential seal on it.

Pacquiao then invited Obama to his next fight, in Las Vegas on May 7, when he will take on American Shane Mosley.