Boxing icon and Senator Emmanuel ‘’Manny’’ Pacquiao said his record as a legislator could speak for themselves despite some absences while in Congress.

‘’I have been absent not because I want to but because i need to,’’ Pacquiao said in a statement on Wednesday, March 24, in response to former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, who criticized his previous congressional record as a probable presidential candidate.

Carpio and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario are the leading lights of 1Sambayan coalition, which is seeking the selection of a singular presidential candidate and a singular vice presidential candidate for the 2022 national elections. The group is not inclined to consider Pacquiao in its line-up.

‘’Ang panawagan ko lang po kay former chief Justice Antonio Carpio, ay sana’y mabigyan niyo po ako ng pagkakataong maipakilala ang tunay na Manny Pacquiao (My appeal is for former Justice Antonio Carpio to give me the opportunity to show him the real Manny Pacquiao),’’ Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao said that to his knowledge, he has not been absent in the Senate in the 18th Congress.

Senate records released in August last year, however, said that for the First Regular Session of the present Congress from July 22, 2019 up to June 4, 2020, Pacquiao attended 57 session days on time, missed the roll call five times, was once in a local official mission, was absent for two days and called in sick two days.

Meanwhile, he admitted having been absent when he was a congressman. "Bakit naman ngayon ito ay ibinabato pa sa akin (Why is this now being raised against me)?’’ he asked.

Pacquiao explained he had to be absent to go to his legislative district.

‘’Isang dahilan pa ay upang mabantayan at makita ng personal ang Pacman Village, ito po ang libo-libong libreng pabahay na ipinamigay ko sa aking mga kababayan sa Sarangani at Gensan (One reason is for me to personally see the construction of ‘Pacman Village. This is a free housing I am giving to thousands of residents of Sarangani and Gensan),’’he pointed out.

‘’Galing po ito sa aking dugo at pawis at personal na pondo. Sinimulan ko po ‘yan noong 2004 na hindi pa ako politiko (The funding came from my blood and sweat. I started this project in 2004 when I was not yet a politician),’’ he added.

‘’Nais ko pong malaman n’yo ang aking saloobin, ganun din sa mga taong nagsasabing wala tayong karapatan (I want you to know my how I feel. That goes to persons who say I have no right…),’’ he said.  

Pacquiao, chairman of the Senate public works committee, also stressed that as a senator, he filed or co-authored 96 bills.

"Isa na po d’yan ang pag-abolish ng Road Board, ang pag-pataw ng dagdag na Sin Tax, Free Internet Access Program sa mga pampublikong lugar, ang Expanded Maternity Leave, ang Handbook for OFWs Act at marami pang iba (One of them is the abolition of the Road Board, increases in the ‘Sin Tax’, Free Internet Access Program in public places, expanded Maternity Leave, handbook for Overseas Filipino Workers and many more)."

 "Despite some absences while still in Congress, my record as a legislator can speak for itself," Pacquiao said.

‘’Nonetheless, I still respect the opinion of former Justice Carpio. I will take it as a reminder to do better as public servant and as a servant of God,’’ he added.