Manny Pacquiao denies talking about running for president in Philippines

Manny Pacquiao recently denied talking about making a run at the presidency in the Philippines.

The famed boxer has been a senator in his home country since 2016 and was a member of the country’s House of Representatives before that. In an interview last week, Pac-Man’s former promoter Bob Arum said that Pacquiao told him he was going to run for president in the Philippines in 2020 and win. However, Pacquiao denied saying that.

“As far as I know, we never talked about politics,” Pacquiao told The Manila Times. “The last time we talked on Zoom, Bob discussed possible fight schedules, but never about politics. Our discussion was all about boxing.”

Pacquiao also turned the focus of the conversation towards unity.

“This is not the time for politics. The country has so much problems, what we need is unity and cooperation in order to mitigate the difficulties of our countrymen,” he said, according to a translation.

If Arum says Pacquiao talked about being president, but Pacquiao is denying that, what is the truth? It’s likely Pacquiao told Arum that in confidence, and Arum said something Pacquiao did not intend to go public. That explanation seems to align with Pacquiao saying the focus should be on unifying the country.

In 2017, current Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted Pacquiao to succeed him as president.