Ballot 50:
Emmanuel “Pacman” Pacquiao
FORMER SENATOR/ RETIRED PROFESSIONAL BOXER
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
Age: 46 (born Dec. 17, 1978)
Highest educational attainment: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science major in Local Government Administration, University of Makati (2019)
Endorsed by: Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas
Boxer-turned-politician Manny Pacquiao wants to regain a seat in the Senate to fight corruption and implement reforms to address poverty, health, education, among other issues.
Field of Expertise
- Filed bills to revive the death penalty for kidnapping, rape with homicide, manufacturing and trafficking illegal drugs but later softened his stance, saying the judicial system must be fixed first
- Authored and co-authored bills that have become laws, such as RA 11163 (the National Bible Day), RA 11227 (the OFW Handbook), and RA 11223 (Universal Health Care Act).
Issues and Controversies
Endured a three-year legal battle in the United States for alleged breach of contract with Paradise Sports Management, which he won when the California Superior Court ruled in his favor last year after declaring the document “void due to illegality”
Faced a tax evasion case in 2013 for alleged failure to pay around ₱3.30 billion in tax deficiencies, including penalties, on his earnings from his fights in the U.S. in 2008 and 2009; case was junked by the Court of Tax nine years later, stating that the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s assessment was “void" for “lack of sufficient factual basis and violated Pacquiao’s right to due process
Had the third lowest attendance among senators from July 2018 to June 2019; was also among the top absentees during his stint as congressman
Heavily criticized in 2016 for describing members of the LGQBTQ+ community as “worse than animals;” later backtracked on this stance while campaigning for president in 2022
Had a “word war” with former president Rodrigo Duterte over issues of corruption, the West Philippine Sea, and his billion-peso tax case; this led to the breakup of Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) into two factions, eventually prompting Pacquiao to run under Abag PROMDI in the 2022 presidential election.
Family Members in Government
Jinkee Pacquiao
Relationship: Wife
Position/s held:
- Vice Governor - Sarangani Province (2013 - 2016)
- Second nominee- Maharlikang Pilipino sa Bagong Lipunan partylist for the 2025 elections
Rogelio Pacquiao
Relationship: Brother
Position/s held:
- Governor - Sarangani Province (2022-2025)
- Representative - Sarangani Province, lone district (2016-2022)
- Chairman - Barangay Apopong, General Santos City (2007 - 2015)
Mark Joseph Pacquiao
Relationship: Cousin
Position/s held:
- Provincial Board Member - Sarangani Province (2024-present)
Lorelie Pacquiao
Relationship: Sister-in-law (wife of Alberto)
Position/s held:
- Mayor - General Santos City (2022 - present)
- Councilor - General Santos City (2019 - 2022)
Russell Jamora
Relationship: Brother-in-law (brother of Jinkee)
Position/s held:
- Provincial Board Member - Sarangani Province (2019 - present)
Where this candidate stands on top 5 concerns of the Filipino voter
- Says addressing corruption is a prerequisite to solving poverty and unemployment in the country
- Believes strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises can help provide more jobs to Filipinos
- Calls for the proper implementation of the OFW Handbook
- Vows to fight graft and corruption, the “cancer of this country” and root cause of its economic problems
- Said during his 2022 presidential campaign that there were extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s drug war and those responsible must be held accountable
- Also vowed to fight drugs “the right way” if elected president
- Has called for a 50-year disaster resiliency master plan and suggested the creation of a “super-agency” to manage the country’s disaster response and resilience as well as the government’s climate change policies
Interesting Facts
- Elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2025
- Second richest senator in 2020 with a net worth of P3.187 billion, next to Cynthia Villar (net worth P3.875 billion)
- Began competing in professional boxing in 1995 and won his first world title at 19 years old in December 1998
- An endorser for several brands such as Alaxan pain relief medicines, and mobile network Globe
- Holds five Guinness World Records, including the only boxer to win world titles in eight weight classes
- Had a cover of the 1970s hit song “Sometimes When We Touch” in 2011, which peaked at the 19th spot in the top 20 list of Adult Contemporary genre of the American music magazine Billboard
- Has two Doctor of Humanities degrees (Honoris Causa) from the Southwestern University of Cebu in 2009 and the Filamer Christian University in 2019