Senator Manny Pacquiao would be filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Friday, October 1, a Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) official confirmed on Thursday.
An official from the PDP-Laban led by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III disclosed that the boxing icon-turned-lawmaker will mark his presidential bid for the May, 2022 presidential bid on the first day of the COC filing.
Pacquiao will head to the Harbor Garden Tent Sofitel in Pasay City at 8 a.m.
The senator earlier announced his retirement from boxing weeks after he was declared the standard-bearer of the PDP-Laban Pimentel wing. He accepted the nomination saying he is ready to accept the challenge of leadership.
Their rival camp, led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has endorsed Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go as the PDP-Laban standard-bearer. Go has repeatedly declined the nomination and said he will leave his fate “to God, to the Dutertes and the people.”
Meanwhile, Go’s running mate, President Duterte, has accepted his nomination as the PDP-Laban Cusi wing’s vice presidential candidate.