Sarangani Mayors' League Prexy pooh-poohs Saguisag's proposal
By Aquiles Z. Zonio
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 22 Dec 2014
SARANGANI PROVINCE ? The Municipal Mayors? League of Sarangani pooh-poohed the proposition of former senator Rene Saguisag asking the House of Representatives to suspend Sarangani lone district Rep. Manny Pacquiao.
Mayor Victor James Yap of Glan town, Sarangani, said ?Who is he to ask for the suspension of our own representative? He is not a voter of Sarangani!?
Yap, the current municipal mayors? league president here, claimed that Pacquiao has never been remiss of his duty as representative of their district.
?Other congressmen can no longer be seen in their respective district after election. Maybe because they are avoiding solicitations or requests for help from their constituents. Cong. Manny Pacquiao is different. He?s always there every time we need him. He?s not hiding from us,? Yap said.
Yap bared that aside from being visible to his people, Pacquiao is spending his own money to help people and to finance government projects in his district.
Pacquiao spent around P6 million out of his own pocket to help the victims of Typhoon Pablo in December 2012.
In November last year, Pacquiao spent more than P10 million out of his hard-earned money for relief operations to ease the sufferings of people in Leyte and Eastern Samar battered by super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
In his district, Pacquiao purchased lands using his own funds to provide housing for the homeless.
Pacquiao is spending his own personal resources to support the education of around 2,500 poor yet deserving students in his district.
Just last October, Pacquiao shouldered the entire P12-million budget for the centennial anniversary celebration of Glan town.
Not only Glan but all the municipal governments in his district run to him for financial succor during important events or celebrations especially after the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) was jettisoned and declared illegal by the Supreme Court.
?By doing this, I believe, Cong. Manny Pacquiao deserves commendation rather than suspension. He has performed beyond our expectation as compared to other lawmakers who spend most of their time in Manila than in their districts,? Yap said.
According to Yap, Pacquiao?s integrity as public official is beyond reproach and his generosity is beyond compare.
?We consider Cong. Manny Pacquiao as a gift from above. We, in Sarangani, is very lucky to have him as our representative. Now, Mr. Saguisag wants to take him away from us? No way!? Yap said.
Yap advised Saguisag to vent his anger on the corrupt and non-performing lawmakers especially those involved in PDAF scam, ?Not on Cong. Manny Pacquiao who has been making sacrifices and invaluable contributions not just in sports but also in the rough-and-tumble world of politics.?
Pacquiao, himself, told this writer that he?s spending around P20 million a year out of his own pocket for medical assistance of his constituents.
?I?m spending roughly P20 million annually for medical assistance of my people. I don?t even earn a tax credit for that,? Pacquiao said.
There were times, Pacquiao said, that he thought of retiring from politics.
?Politics is not a satisfying profession. To me, it?s a great sacrifice. That?s why I treat it as a vocation,? Pacquiao said.
The boxer-lawmaker, however, believes God has a purpose why He allowed him to become a politician.
?I?m spending millions to help my people. And I don?t steal. One thing I abhor most is stealing people?s money. I feel, we need to regain the people?s trust and restore decency and integrity in public service,? Pacquiao said.
According to him, his legacy in boxing is already secured.
?I want to leave a legacy not just in boxing but also in public service. I want the people to remember me not only as the world?s eight-division boxing champion, but also as public servant who is not corrupt,? Pacquiao said.
The Filipino ring icon believes that attending plenary proceedings is not even half of what a legislator is expected to deliver to his constituents.
?We have plenty of good and meaningful laws. The problem is in the implementation. When we go back to our district, the problem is the lack of funds and the limited access to government social services,? Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao decried that time and again this has been the perennial problem particularly in rural areas.
?I?m doing my best to meet the expectations of my people. I?m doing my best to let them feel government is taking care of them, even if it means spending my own money,? he said.
Yap disputed Saguisag?s claim that Pacquiao is just treating his legislative responsibilities as a ?hobby.?
?It is highly unfair for Saguisag to say that. He is not aware of what Cong. Pacquiao has done in Sarangani. He should ask first what Cong. Pacquiao has done in the Lower House and what he has done here in our province,? Yap said.
Yap was wondering why Saguisag did not ask the House to suspend Rep. Julio Ledesma, a veteran Negros Occidental lawmaker and husband of actress Assunta De Rossi.
Ledesma has also been a frequent top placer in the list of absentee lawmakers. He registered more absences than Pacquiao based on records made available last year by the Office of the Secretary General.
Others who ranked higher in the list of absentees were former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Lanao del Norte Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo, both under hospital detention for non-bailable criminal charges.
For Yap, plenary hall attendance is not the sole basis of a congressman?s legislative accomplishments.
?Constituency work in his congressional district is also considered part of a lawmaker?s duty,? Yap said.
Pacquiao is expected to show up at the plenary hall as soon as the Lower House resumes session next year.
Pacquiao is scheduled to fly to the United States in January to finalize if not sign a new fight contract, then to England for a courtesy call with Prince William and to serve as one of the judges for the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant. /By Aquiles Z. Zonio
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Aquiles Z. Zonio.
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