Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday, March 22 admitted that Senator Manny Pacquiao also approached him to discuss his plans to run for president in the upcoming May 2022 elections. 

According to Sotto, the boxer-turned-politician approached him twice—once before the COVID-19 pandemic, and again, while there was already a pandemic.

“Yes, some time ago, nagkausap kami. Nabanggit niya sa akin na interesado siya na tumakbo sa pagka-pangulo (we talked. He mentioned to me that he is interested to run for president),” Sotto told reporters during a virtual interview.

Lacson had earlier disclosed Pacquiao has approached him and also discussed his political plans. Asked if Pacquiao asked him for advise, Sotto said they merely discussed the matter. 

“Kwentuhan lang. sabi ko ‘ah ganun?’ Mag-usap tayo one of these days. Tingnan natin pag malinaw na,’ ganun lang (We just talked. I told him let’s talk about it one of these days. Let’s see what happens when everything is clear, that’s it),” he said.

The Senate leader said he believes Pacquiao, who now heads the ruling political party Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban, was merely telling him of his plans casually.

“Parang bumu-busina siya, ganoon. Sabi niya, ‘ikaw ba, anong plano mo?’ Sabi ko, wala pa (it’s like he was just honking his horn. He asked me what my plan was. I told him, I haven’t decided anything),” Sotto said. 

Meanwhile, Sotto would neither confirm nor deny if he and Sen. Panfilo Lacson will be running in tandem in next years polls. 

According to him, he and Lacson have decided to focus on the issues confronting the nation, rather than politics. 

“Trabaho muna kami, kung ano yung dapat naming gawin magbigay ng tulong doon muna kami. Ganoon na muna, ganoon dapat ang mentality (We’ll work first. We’ll focus on whatever we need to do first. That should be the mentality),” he stressed.