PACQUIAO AND POLITICS (PART IV)
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 11 Oct 2015
The qualifications for membership in the Senate are expressly stated in Section 3, Art. VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution as follows: "No person shall be a Senator unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, and on the day of the election, is at least 35 years of age, able to read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election."
No educational qualification is required. There is no provision stating that a Senator must be a college graduate or must have an experience.
Manny Pacquiao enrolled for a college degree in business management at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU) in his hometown in General Santos City. On February 18, 2009, he was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) by Southwestern University (SWU), Cebu City in recognition of his boxing achievements and humanitarian work.
When he won as congressman in 2010, he prepared himself in his career as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives. He enrolled in the Certificate Course in Development, Legislation and Governance at the Development Academy of the Philippines ? Graduate School of Public and Development Management.
Sun.Star Cebu Editorial has this to say: "Pacquiao is qualified to run for senator like the others. The law does not bar him from doing so; instead it gives him the right to do it. And it is the majority of voters, not only his critics, who will have a say on whether they would want him to be in the Senate. So why begrudge him for running for senator?"
The name Pacquiao is not only synonymous to boxing. Pacquiao is also often linked to generosity, kindness and charity. In a country where most of the voters are below poverty line, these are the traits they want their leaders to posses. Even some professionals and affluent constituents would love this kind of public service.
Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times wrote about Pacquiao: "The money flowed in. He was not only a hero in the Philippines, but an ATM machine for some. They would line the streets around his home in General Santos, a seaside city in the far south of the country and in the district he now represents as a congressman. They'd bring copies of unpaid bills, death certificates; anything showing a need. He seldom said no. He was the country's Robin Hood, but not with funds robbed from the rich. He was the rich."
Pacquiao was with the people of Samar and Leyte days after the world's strongest typhoon Yolanda struck Eastern Visayas handing out relief goods from his own personal funds. He said he borrowed money because the Bureau of Internal Revenue allegedly froze his accounts due to a tax evasion case.
Col Emmanuel Cacdac, Deputy Commander Task Force Yolanda was quoted by Samar News: ?The visit of Hon. Congressman Emmanuel D. Pacquiao is a welcome respite for the people of Eastern Visayas. Their varied reactions say it all, he is loved and revered by the people. Coming from the ranks of the poor, he evolved from obscurity to become a well-known boxer, a generous philanthropist, and a humble and spiritual person. It is no wonder that he is referred to as the country?s national treasure. Task Force Yolanda, 8th Infantry Division is proud of him, more so as he is a Reservist Officer of the Philippine Army.?
Pacquiao visited the victims of one of the country's biggest tragedies, the Guinsaugon landslide in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte, where more than one thousand people were buried alive including children while in school in 2006. He gave relief goods and money to the survivors. At that time he was not involved in politics yet.
Trainer Freddie Roach was quoted by The National about his favorite boxer: "A really nice kid. So he's such a giving person that I'm afraid he's going to give it all away someday. That's my biggest worry. Because he's a generous, generous person. He does like people."
Like Pacquiao, Robert Jaworski was a sportsman when he was elected senator. He filed about 300 bills and some were passed into laws, most of them were of environmental concerns. He was able to pass a law regulating the ownership, possession and sale of chainsaws.
Jaworski also introduced legislation to protect the country?s national marine sanctuaries and filed a bill imposing strict penalties on oil pollution damage on Philippine waters. He co-authored the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Management Act.
Senator Lito Lapid is one of the most productive senators in the Upper Chamber even if he has admitted himself to be poor in English and used the Filipino language in presenting and defending his legislative measures. There is no rule in the Senate prohibiting the use of the national language.
As a representative, one of Pacquiao's biggest contributions was combating human trafficking. After getting elected in 2010, Pacquiao delivered a privilege speech calling for more anti-trafficking measures and cooperated with Visayan Forum, the largest anti-trafficking charity organization in Philippines, in fighting human trafficking. His advocacy bore fruit as an anti-trafficking law was passed in 2013.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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