Manny Pacquiao (Facebook)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte--Administration senatorial candidate tore a page off General Douglas MacArthur’s book and declared "I shall return."

This city was the site of the historic World War II Leyte Landing, where the late American General fulfilled his promise to come back and liberate the Philippines.

A few kilometers away at Plaza Libertad during the massive campaign rally of the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate, Pacquiao made a promise help liberate Filipinos from poverty.

But he needs to return to the Senate to do so.

“Kung may Allied Forces noon…may Alyansa ngayon! (If there were Allied Forces then...we have the Alyansa now!)” declared the boxing icon-turned-politician on Friday, March 14.

“Tulad ng Leyte Landing, panahon na para sa isang panibagong laban—laban para sa tunay na pagbabago at pagbangon ng bawat Pilipino (Like the Leyte Landing, it's time to wage a new battle--a battle for true change and to uplift the lives of every Filipino),” said the former senator as he invoked the heroic struggle here decades ago.

"Sa Tacloban, nakita natin ang tatag ng Pilipino sa gitna ng unos. Hindi tayo sumusuko, hindi tayo bumibitaw (We saw in Tacloban the toughness of the Filipino amid the storm. We did not give up, we did not give in)," Pacquiao said in his impassioned speech before the crowd.

"Tulad ng sinabi noon ni General MacArthur —‘I shall return.’ Tulungan po ninyo ako makabalik sa Senado para ituloy natin ang laban sa giyera kontra kahirapan at kinabukasan ng bawat Pilipino," he further said.

(Like what General MacArthur said before--'I shall return.’ Help me to get back in the Senate so that we can continue our war against poverty and for future of each Filipino.)

For Pacquiao, this campaign is not about seeking power but about serving the people. His platform focuses on fighting for the poor, justice, and a future where no Filipino is left behind. 

He draws inspiration from the resilience of Tacloban, a city that has faced both natural and economic challenges, much like the struggles of the country as a whole.

Pacquiao was one of the first responders to the city after the Typhoon "Yolanda" devastated Leyte and nearby provinces in November 2013.