Why Pacquiao?
My husband watched every TV show on record about Manny Pacquiao, every fight he has ever fought from the beginning of his career — but not to the end. For some reason, he didn’t want to watch Pacquiao’s last fight.
I must confess that, after the match, I thought that it was fine that Pacquiao had lost. I found it sad, because he wasn’t supposed to fight Ugas, a last-minute stand-in for Spence, who had an untimely eye injury. But Ugas won by the grace of God. That’s my opinion.
Let me tell you what this quarantine has done to me. It has spared my family from COVID and strengthened my spirituality, my faith in God and everyone and everything heavenly.
The other night, we experienced the strongest four lightning bolts ever. The first one flashed then turned off the lights and the TV set, but the power was instantly restored. This happened three times. The fourth time, only the lights came back on again. So I went to sleep thinking that was God’s way of punishing the world for watching too much TV and failing to stand in awe of nature, which He created.
Why did He — in capital letters, meaning God — allow the Philippines to elect President Duterte? People who voted for him thought they were doing the right thing but when he was in office, we discovered he was the most wrong thing that could happen, after Marcos.
He (God) probably did that to open our eyes wider and make us see how faulty our eyesight is, how badly we need glasses or cataract operations to look at reality clearly and intensely, and finally do something that will genuinely help ourselves and our country. Maybe now that our eyes are more widely opened we will vote well in the next elections.
Why did He make our hero, our idol Manny Pacquiao, lose his glorious title to someone we hadn’t even heard of? I think it’s His message to Pacquiao: “Your time to fight is over. Now it is time for you to become president of your country, the Philippines. Save it from more trouble.”
I think Manny Pacquiao should be our next president, not because he is the hero of every person in the Philippines for his success in the boxing ring, but for the skills, understanding, and heart that his success has given him.
Why do I say that? The last time I watched Manny Pacquiao on TV, I saw him deliver a speech at Oxford University. The celebrated British university had invited him to talk about himself — the astounding story of a poor kid who first became an outstanding boxing success and then a politician.
True, he still had his accent, speaking in English, but so does Duterte, so did Marcos. Yet Pacquiao spoke very well. He could be understood and drew much applause from the Brits. He spoke honestly about his life and humbly about his successes.
Then that was followed by an interview here. He spoke about how our country’s biggest problem, in his opinion — which I share — is the plight of the poor. How miserable their lives are. I know so many presidents have not really made a dent in solving the problems of the poor.
He said he knew what it was like because he himself had been poor, had gone through days when they didn’t know what they would eat or where the money would be coming from. He then, as a boy, found ways of making a better life for his family, which had been abandoned by their father. Look where he is now. Look how much money he has made for himself. Look how he has shared this money with the poor.
I think Manny Pacquiao should be our next president, not because he is the hero of every person in the Philippines for his success in the boxing ring, but for the skills, understanding, and heart that his success has given him. I listened to him talk and I could feel his heart, and furthermore, his humility. He genuinely feels for the poor and genuinely wants to help them.
While he will have his focus on helping the poor, this will move upwards to assist also the middle class and the rich. I remember my days as head of a corporate foundation when, in one of the conferences, they said that money does not flow downward. It flows upward. It’s the poor who have been neglected, thus far. I think Pacquiao can do this better than anyone who dares try to be president.
Running for president of this country does take daring. It requires a lot of money, lots of guts and the courage to graciously lose if Fate will not smile at you and make you win. In whose hands is winning? I believe it’s in God’s hands. And who might be God’s choice? I hope that it’s Manny Pacquiao, whom I do not know personally nor have any connection with, so I am clearly not on his payroll.
People can scoff at Manny Pacquiao, say he needs more education. I don’t believe the fools who say that. You listen to what the man says, you know you will pray like I pray that Manny Pacquiao becomes the next president of the Philippines.
Computer graphic by Scott Garceau