"People in politics are not exceptionally brilliant or honest. One thing certain is that most of them are shrewd and cunning."
There is really nothing wrong about our legendary boxing champion Manuel “Manny” Pacquiao entering politics. After all, people in politics are not exceptionally brilliant or honest. One thing certain is that most of them are shrewd and cunning. As they say, in politics it is everybody’s ballgame and Pacquiao now represents the new breed of politician that puts opportunism to a maximum. He personifies the desperation of someone one who can neither articulate his ideology nor provide vision for his people.
Neither can the Filipino people look forward to seeing Pacquiao as having the wisdom to extricate the country from being left behind. The irony is that the US defines our policy to keep the loyalty of demagogues instead of leaders who can advance the well-being of our people based on what constitutes our national interest.
Endorsing a discredited politician as his vice presidential running mate was not without motive. Despite the huge sum of money he has earned as prize fighter, the amount definitely is not enough for Pacquiao to win the position he is seeking. Getting one to substitute the wobbly financial status of the US Empire is timely. From a conquering colonialist to a financially hard-up puppeteer, the US is now saddled with politicians wanting to join our political system that is oftentimes corrupt and rowdy.
The nomination of Pacquiao as president of PDP-Laban on December 2, 2020 was long hatched by his political handlers. That culminated in the announcement last March 19 to formally sound out his intention to run for president. The US is now on the crossroad to select a would-be lackey but credible to be taken by the people seriously. Nobody from among the yellow opposition has the political savvy to challenge the man who made it difficult for the US to justify its presence amidst its increasing uneasiness in the SCS.
This explains why the yellow opposition possibly pressured that bigoted magistrate to decide against the petition for a recount, for that would add a burden to the US for their use of the bases. Pacquiao is their last man who could maneuver things for them. At least, his choice as running mate could provide the funds which Pacquiao could not otherwise secure from his handlers.
Former Vice President Jejomar Binay still enjoys marginal clout and possesses the asset to push his ambition with seeming nod from Washington. What obfuscated the situation is that Pacquiao was nominated by one who has a cloudy relationship with Davao City mayor Sara Duterte.
Meanwhile, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco should know that the President is serving as ex oficio chairman of the PDP-Laban. Aquilino Pimentel III, the president of PDP-Laban, was there but pretended not to be senior adviser. As one could recall, Binay resigned from the PDP-Laban in disgust for the party’s failure to stop the gory cannibalism of his political career. Some say, it was no accident why Speaker Velasco nominated Binay. Perhaps, Velasco wanted to make sure that Binay would never again allow the Cayetanos to make noise in Taguig.
The desperate empire has an axe to grind against Duterte. As of now, they could only see the pugilist as the qualified contender but of all things, only for his money. The loquacious President has succeeded in using the US bases to exact a bargain but for how long can he demand payment is something that worries the financially hard-up empire.
It was Duterte that accelerated the decline of US influence that today is desperately paddling its canoe against the current. This we say because US support for the CPP/NPA is obvious that it intends to off-balance the Duterte administration to lend credibility to the yellow opposition which everybody knows is now a decomposed political player.
This we hasten to say because the decline of the US is an inexorable event in history. The US knows it is a matter of time that the bases will have to go, not because of threat from China but of the reality that Asian countries now demand payment more than their security which the US could no longer afford.
This explains why the candidacy of Pacquiao has become imperative. The US could no longer scout one who could assess their future stay in this country. Pacquiao may not be able to resolve the US-China stalemate in the SCS but for how long can the US hold on the lifeline in sustaining the financial requirements of sustaining a puppet. This now makes the US a shameless freeloader like what they did in selecting a bum lady president to replace Evo Morales of Bolivia.
Binay is a true PDP-Laban who remained loyal despite being soaked in mud for alleged corruption by the son of his own benefactor, Cory Aquino. If elected vice-president, he will repeat what the brother of that infamous political kingpin Eugenio Lopez did when his brother, Fernando Lopez, served as vice president for three terms. The Lopezes and the Binays have no problem with Pacquiao, and this is the angle that Duterte should look into. The circumstance for which Pacquiao is now grooved both by the US and the oligarchs gives an ominous premonition.
Some even say Pacquiao is the deteriorated version of the kind of politician we have today. While he talks much of wanting to help the poor but that script is already out of style. It appeared on papers that he owns a £7 M worth of mansion. That is something the more discernible public could never understand. As it is, his foreign handlers are determined in reshaping his future role.
While admittedly, Pacquiao stands as one of our biggest taxpayers, definitely that does not make him a patriot. In fact, some are questioning his accounting arrangement for it appears that Pacquiao may be paying more of his income in the US than in the Philippines where many of our people still live in squalor and poverty.
It has been discovered that the taxes paid by him are proceeds that came from what is called “pay per view” sales. This is now being questioned because they are supposed to be for free. If we are to get it right, what Pacquiao is paying here as tax is from the proceeds paid by Filipino aficionados. His income tax is intact and completely paid by him in the US.
The greatest political swindle we get from “Mr. Pacman” is we elected him senator only to allow him to continue his hobby of raking in additional millions when supposedly we pay him to serve his constituents. But right now, he gets his time out as senator to prepare for his fight abroad and possibly collecting the same millions from his congressional pork barrel from people who can only imbibe their identity with him as down-trodden.
The US would not even admit they have tucked into their pocket a stooge to help revitalize their influence in this country. Some say the move of the US is no different from the script used to project the image of Cong. Dadong Macapagal then who perorated himself as the “poor boy from Lubao” to defeat the incumbent nationalist president Carlos Garcia. Today, the bankrupt but shrewd empire will cajole any lackey willing to spend his money, which means the US will have less expense to finance their puppet.
rpkapunan@gmail.com
