CONSTITUTION WON’T STOP A ‘CONGRESSMAN PACQUIAO’ FROM STAYING IN BOXING
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 19 Nov 2009
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – If Manny Pacquiao wins as congressman in Saranggani Province in Mindanao next year, he can still continue with his boxing career as the Philippine constitution would not prohibit him from engaging in any sports activity as paid athlete and member of the Lower House at the same time.
What the charter requires in the May 2010 polls is for candidates to be Filipino citizens with no criminal conviction in court and must be able to read and write.
Pacquiao has basically met these requirements having been a candidate for congressman in Cotabato in 2007 where he was clobbered by Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio.
As a lawmaker, however, his boxing career will have to take a back seat for a while as the government job requires full concentration and regular attendance in committee deliberations which normally last until the morning.
The Constitution also allows an incumbent legislator to quit for health reasons and a special election would be staged to fill up the vacancy.
If Pacquiao wins as congressman, he would only be 31 years old. His itch to stay in the sports that gave him fame and fortune will certainly push him back to the gym until he probably retires for good before reaching 36.
Until he turns 36, efforts of the Lakas-CMD to lure him to run under the dominant political party in the senatorial race would be futile as the Constitution requires that a candidate for senator must at least be 36 years old.
In a recent list of incomplete slate released in media, the party founded by former Pres. Fidel V. Ramos, mentioned Pacquiao as among those being considered to complete its official line-up for the 12-man senatorial race.
Pacquiao, however, had already sworn in as member of the rival KAMPI party where his political patron, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, belongs.
Pacquiao is reportedly hell-bent to run for congressman having replenished his political war chest with a recent haul by stopping Miguel Angel Cotto for the WBO welterweight championship in Las Vegas, Nevada last Nov. 14.
His promoter, Bob Arum, big boss of Top Rank, hasn’t decided yet whom should Pacquiao face next tentatively in March 2010. But negotiations to entice Floyd Mayweather Jr. have reportedly commenced and details of the deal won’t be disclosed until everything has been finalized.
Pacquiao would be the first Filipino world boxing champion to run for a higher position in public office while titleholder of a major crown.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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