CONSERVATIVES LOOKING TO NOMINATE MANNY PACQUIAO IN 2016
Philippine President Manny Pacquiao?
San Francisco, CA– Although there is a plethora of anticipation that iconic Filipino boxer and current Congressman Manny Pacquiao will run for the Presidency of the Philippines in 2016, he has plenty of Filipino American political detractors. Some have even speculated that Pacquiao’s recent metamorphosis from being a pussy bandit with an illegitimate kid and a gambling problem that was said to crossover with his over consumption of alcoholic beverages, to that of a Born Again Christianity is window dressing for a run at an office once held by the late and infamous Ferdinand Marcos. In recent months, when the subject of Manny Pacquiao the boxer comes up with Filipino Americans, I also broach his alleged political aspirations.
NURSE WAS BEYOND BLUNT
My aunt has a Filipino nurse come and see her once a week. Never before have we discussed Manny Pacquiao. That changed Wednesday when she brought up Pacquiao during a conversation. Educated with two college degrees, the woman took a deep breathe as she sat down. “Manny Pacquiao will never be president of the Philippines.” Being the pushy type, I wouldn’t let her end on that note so I prodded some more and asked her why she feels that way? “Pacquiao has no real education, he says stupid things, some of which he wishes he could take back.” She was referring to the comments attributed to Pacquiao that, “All Gay men should be killed.” When the US Media and Gay groups got wind of something that had been in the press for a few days, that and his being banned from a Los Angeles shopping mall, Team Pacquiao went into “Damage Control” and the writer implied that Manny was taken out of context.
HE WAS JUST “MANNY PACQUIAO” BEFORE FAME & RICHES
Having first met Pacquiao in late 2001 in San Francisco as he completed final workouts for what turned out to be one of his most disappointing ring performances when he all but quit in a fight with the late Agapito Sanchez, then the dirtiest fighter in the game of boxing. Although his English was limited, it was apparent that Pacquiao was not a future Rhode Scholar. Nice, cordial, respectful, this was at a point in Pacquiao’s life where he didn’t have millions of dollars in the bank, luxurious mansions, his own team of bodyguards that mirror the United States Secret Service protection bestowed upon President Barack Obama.
BEING AN ATHLETE DOES NOT MAKE YOU PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL
There was one exception to the aforementioned notion that athletes are not smart enough to be a good politician. That was Alexis Arguello, the Mayor of Managua, Nicaragua when he died a few years ago. Although the official ruling was death by suicide, intelligent people believe that conclusion about as much as they do in the self-hanging of Arturo Gatti, whom I feel was murdered by his skank wife. Arguello was educated, well read, and could fit into any conversation regardless of the subject. The same cannot be said of Manny Pacquiao.
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF OBAMA ONLY HAD A GED?
President Obama is a graduate of Harvard University who while attending the Cambridge, Massachusetts institute of learning was near the top of his class. Now do you think people would have voted for him in 2008 if his education was limited to “home schooling” and the equivalent of a GED, which can be construed two ways. The official title is “General Education Development,” while comedian Chris Rock calls it, “Good Enough for a Diploma.” At the end of the day, Manny Pacquiao’s chances of being elected president in 2016 are “Slim & None,” and as promoter Don King is famous for saying, “Slim just left town.”
Pedro Fernandez