San Miguel Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang has denied reports he was endorsing Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao’s presidential bid in the upcoming May 2022 national elections.

The business tycoon said the comments attributed to him were just taken out of context.

"I was told that some people believe that I am endorsing Manny Pacquiao's candidacy. That is certainly not the case," Ang said in a statement.

During an online forum with journalists last week, Ang said Pacquiao’s name cropped up when one of the attendees asked whom he thought would be the likely winner in next year's presidential elections. 

Though he never got a chance to answer, the business mogul said other participants brought up the senator’s name, and the conversation steered towards this issue, leading a business columnist to write that he made a "fearless forecast" that Pacquiao would be the country's next president.

"Right now, it's still a wide open race,” Ang said.

Pacquiao has made no comment on the issue when Manila Bulletin reached out to seek a response from the lawmaker. But in an earlier post on Twitter, the lawmaker thanked Ang “for his trust and confidence in me.”

“Someday soon,  I hope we can sit down and discuss ideas on how to make our country a better place to live in for every Filipino,” he tweeted.

Ang, however, believes President Duterte’s endorsement would still be the key factor to victory, considering his high trust rating. 

“As such, the situation can change dramatically, depending on Mayor Sara Duterte and Senator Bong Go's decision, coupled with the strength of President Duterte's endorsement," he stressed.