If they can do things to a "Manny Pacquiao", what more can they do to ordinary and poor Filipinos?
This was the lament of Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao on Friday, July 16, as he commented on the issues hurled against him amid his rift with President Duterte and the upcoming 2022 polls.
"Naawa ako sa sambayanang Filipino, kasi kung ako nga, na in-elect ng tao, ako na Manny Pacquiao, kaya nilang ganyanin, ano pa kaya 'yong maliliit na tao? Paano pa kaya 'yong isang-kahig isang tuka? Paano nila paglalaruan 'yon (I pity the Filipinos, because if they can do things to an elected official, to me, a Manny Pacquiao, what more can they do to ordinary people? To the poor? How worse will they toy these people)?" Pacquiao said in an interview over DZBB radio.
"Kung ako nga kaya nilang ganyanin, paano pa kaya 'yong mallit na tao (If they can do these to me, what more the ordinary people)?" he added.
The current president of Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has been rumored to be eyeing the presidency, although he refuses to confirm or deny if he will run in 2022.
For five years, Pacquiao has stood by his partymate President Duterte amid various issues, including his controversial anti-drug campaign, which was criticized for killing mostly poor people.
That is, until the senator started attacking the administration, specifically its stance on the West Philippine Sea issue and lingering problem of corruption in government.
An irked Duterte has since been giving Pacquiao a dressing down, from questioning his "very shallow knowldege" on national issues, to even calling the boxing champion a "punch-drunk".
"Parang gawin akong -- magmukha akong tanga. Lahat ng mga isyu na 'yan, napapanood ko rito 'yong paninira, 'yong atake sa akin, nagtaka nga ako, eh. Grabe ang atake nila sa akin, paninira, wala naman akong sinasabi (They are making me look like a fool. I have seen all the insults, the attacks against me, and I was wondering, what did I ever say to them)?" the senator said.
Pacquiao now says that poor Filipinos need a "genuine voice" to represent them in government.
"Ito na 'yong time para magkaroon ng tunay na boses ang mahihirap na tao This is the time for us to have a genuine voice for the poor)," he said, vowing to the "fight for the poor".
Duterte previously vowed to campaign against Pacquiao if the latter fails to prove his corruption claims.