Still on a high after winning a congressional seat representing the impoverished southern Philippine province of Sarangani, Pacquiao, 31, said that he would continue fighting—both as an athlete and legislator for the people.
“There are many problems in my province, many people who need help and one by one, we will decide what to do to help them,” noted during a grand celebration in his native General Santos on Saturday night.
“I am happy that I won and that people voted for me but it is also a great responsibility and so I must help my countrymen,” said Pacquiao, who grew up dirt poor in the South until boxing brought him world fame.
“My agenda is livelihood programs, education, healthcare and medical assistance. I am thinking of all kinds of bills to pass in Congress.” The party, held at a convention center attended by more than 1,000 people, marked the 61st birthday of his mother, Dionisia, and his landslide victory in last week’s national elections.
Pacquiao said that he was confident of balancing the demands of being a champion boxer and a legislator.”It just needs discipline. You just need time management.”
He added that he would continue making commercial endorsements, a practice that helped make him the world’s sixth highest paid athlete last year with earnings of $40 million, according to Forbes magazine.
Focus on service
But when asked what his priority would be among his many occupations, Pacquiao said, “For now, I will focus on service.”
He has long dreamed of a political career, saying that he is driven by a fierce desire to help the poor and that public office would be his way of paying society back for the support Filipinos have given him.
Pacquiao is regarded as a national treasure in the Philippines, where even Muslim extremists and soldiers silence their guns during his fights.
Immediately after his victory in the elections was confirmed last week, he said that he would give in to his mother’s wishes and fight just one more time—in a long-awaited bout with 33-year-old American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But Pacquiao hinted on Saturday that he may still have some more fights left in him after a potential Mayweather bout.
“My mother gave me one more fight. I respect my mama but it is up to me whether to continue boxing,” he said as Dionisia Pacquiao was serenaded on a stage at the party.
“I still respect her as a parent. This issue can be settled through polite negotiations,” Pacquiao added.
“We can’t really say [my next fight] would be the last. Maybe I might still be able to fight. It depends. I have not reached a decision. I could retire after one more fight.”
His mother has been imploring Pacquiao to stop fighting for years but many fans are still hoping to see him face off against Mayweather to settle once and for all who is the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter of their generation.
When questioned if his deal to fight Mayweather had been finalized, Pacquiao only said “not yet.”
“It is Bob Arum who is negotiating,” he said, referring to the American boxing promoter.
Arum visited Pacquiao during the elections and later said that he was trying to have the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight scheduled in November. This match is expected to have one of the biggest purses in history.
Negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight fell through earlier this year when the American insisted on Olympic-style random drug testing, which the Filipino rejected as too intrusive before a bout.
In his speeches at the party, Pacquiao thanked his supporters for giving him a victory in the elections. He also gave his mother a diamond bracelet, which his family said was worth more than a million pesos ($22,470).
AFP
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