Hurling insults at Pacquiao

IT’S NOT that boxing icon Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao did not send signals before that he would seek a higher post in the May 2016 elections after serving as congressman of Sarangani province. The initial rumor was he would run for vice president, but that was shot down by experts who noted that he would fail in the age requirement.

So the Pacman has announced that he would run for senator next year? Considering his record in the House of Representatives, one that has him topping the list of members with most absences, critics could not help but pounce on him. The insults, though, were uncalled for.

Let us put things in perspective. Pacquiao’s absences during House sessions were mostly because he was training for his fights, he was fighting in the ring and, post-fight he was recuperating. But he was elected to the post by Sarangani folk who knew that he is still an active fighter. His expected that absences from House sessions must have been factored in, therefore, when they cast their votes for him.

How did the man fare in his job as lawmaker despite his absences in the House? How did he attend to the needs of Sarangani folk, again despite his absences? Those are questions that that should also be asked in assessing Pacquiao’s record as congressman. Because if he did not fare badly in these aspects, then he does not deserve the insults.

Another thing: There’s no denying Pacquiao’s legend as a boxer. The man may not be a good fit as lawmaker but he made Filipinos proud with his exploits in the international boxing arena. No other Filipino sports figure has reached his stature worldwide and he will be remembered for years, even decades to come. He thus deserves respect, not scorn.

Finally this: 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?

Let Pacquiao run and let us not ridicule him for doing so. If he wins, then we could not do anything about it. As the French thinker Alexis de Tocqueville once said: “In a democracy, the people get the government they deserve.”