WHY PEOPLE VOTED FOR SENATOR PACQUIAO

WHY PEOPLE VOTED FOR SENATOR PACQUIAO
By Maloney L. Samaco

Like all candidates, Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao received hordes of criticisms and
condemnations.  They ranged from absenteeism in Congress, anti-LGBT comment, to incompetence as lawmaker.  But the issues were no match to the overwhelming support given by the voters to the people's champion.

Here are 15 reasons why Congressman Pacquiao is winning as Senator of the Republic of the Philippines.  They just overwhelmed the negative points in the Pacquiao campaign.

1.  Public service is about helping people which he did as a congressman and before he planned of running for public office.

2.  Almost every Filipino knows Pacquiao.  His achievements transcend political boundaries, and go beyond all ages and social classes.

3.  Sportsmen and boxing fans believe he can help Philippine sports development through legislation and action.

4.  He has good programs for agriculture and would support the farmers and work to provide them incentives and subsidies.

5.  He has a title of "champion of the poor."  Bob Arum said "the social welfare system in the Philippines is called Manny Pacquiao."

6.  He promised that Filipino children who have the potential to excel in sports would be trained extensively from their early age until they are well prepared for international competition.

7.  He was honored by the Asia Society as "2015 Game Changer of the Year" awardee at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for using his sport and his star power as forces for good in the fields of education and human trafficking.

8.  He uplifted the spirits of victims of disasters, especially Yolanda in Leyte, and distributed relief goods and assistance from his own pocket.

9.  He has endorsed the construction of classrooms, multipurpose buildings, and water supply systems aside from distributing livelihood assistance to agrarian villages.

10.  The nation has practically zero crime everytime he fights atop the ring as the Filipino people were glued to the television.

11.  He inspired the people with his "rags-to-riches" life story.  He is the international symbol of Filipino courage and gallantry.

12.  He sent thousands of students to school as scholars and vowed to help more out-of-school youths obtain education and technical skills.

13.  He advocated for lasting peace in Mindanao, a decades old problem hounding the country. Himself being a Mindanaoan, he could contribute much to the peace process in the south.

14.  He would look after the welfare of overseas Filipino workers, the unsung heroes of the economy.

15.  He promised to retire from boxing and concentrate on his full time job as member of the Philippine Senate.

Public awareness alone could not make a candidate win a national elective position.  Track records contribute to the winnability of the politician.  And presumptive Senator Manny Pacquiao has solidified his top 12 ranking at No. 7, not at the pound-for-pound rating, but at the senatorial polls.

PHILBOXING CONTRIBUTOR WINS BY LANDSLIDE

PHILBOXING CONTRIBUTOR WINS ELECTION CONVINCINGLY
By Maloney L. Samaco

This writer the incumbent Maasin City Mayor won in his election bid as City Vice Mayor in this capital city of Southern Leyte.  I got 27,516 votes against my opponent former councilor Ruel Sibi who garnered 9,476 votes.

We were proclaimed by the COMELEC this morning together with my City Mayor-elect Liga ng mga Barangay Provincial President Nikko Mercado, the son of the governor, who also won convincingly over former mayor Atty. Gerry Dator.  All ten City Councilors who were proclaimed belong to our Liberal Party.

Having served three terms as mayor, yours truly went back to the vice mayoralty. Previously,  I have served three terms as vice mayor and two terms as councilor, for a total of 24 years in service.  I acted as Chairman of the Maasin City Sports Council for 18 years.

My 13-Point Agenda include Sports Excellence which capped Prince Albert Pagara's successful ring exploits. Other achievements of the city in the field of sports include the hosting of the National Boxing Championships 2013, hosting of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) 2012, and producing Philippine Boxing Federation champions Adones Aguelo and the late Alex Aroy.

This writer also as City Mayor he accompanied the Maasin City athletes in the EVRAA meets in Tacloban, Catarman, Ormoc, Baybay and Calbayog, the Palarong Pambansa at Naga, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban and Lingayen, the Batang Pinoy at Bacolod, Aklan, Romblon and Cebu, and the Philippine National Games at Antique. We were able to produce gold medalists in the national competitions and the Palarong Pambansa.

I supported Manny Pacquiao's senatorial bid even if he belongs to the UNA because I know he can help Philippine sports so much.


Photo shows the writer with Philboxing web editor Dong Secuya at the Waterfront Hotel.

WILL PRESIDENT DUTERTE SUPPORT SPORTS?

WILL PRESIDENT DUTERTE SUPPORT SPORTS?

By Maloney L. Samaco

This is the multi-million peso question often raised by sportsmen and sports fans about presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Sports is something that will build the muscle of the nation. Sports [instills] discipline. It’s part of growing a paradigm for young women or real men,” Duterte was quoted by Rappler.

“I-se-separate ko 'yan. Parang dati na Department of Education, Culture and Sports, pero I am inclined to create another authority. I want sports and sports only sa opisina na yun,” the lawyer mayor added.

It was also reported he was planning to create a Department of Sports.  The last time it became a separate department was during the time of another strongman President Ferdinand Marcos when he created the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ritchie Garcia is positive Duterte will give due importance to sports development.  “I know that the good mayor will give sports its due,” said Garcia, an big bike enthusiast like Duterte, according to Philippine Star.

“We in the sporting world value the importance of the support Malacañang can give in building champion athletes,” added Garcia.

During the opening of Jr. NBA in Davao City, Sports Development Division-City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO) officer-in-charge William “Butch” Ramirez, the former PSC chair, lauded Duterte's all-out support to sports development in his city as reported by Edge Davao.

“Mayor Duterte has always been an advocate of sports promotion and champion of the athletes,” Ramirez said. “Through this program, the young athletes of Davao City will also be given the chance to display their skills before our national coaches.”

UP Mindanao is now the site of a 20-hectare area for the sports complex under the Davao City government’s management.  “The Sports Dome will help promote the development of sports and human kinetics as well as promote maximum image exposure and positive image for Davao City as a sports, tourism, business and investment mecca and zone of peaceful convergence,” said Mayor Duterte as quoted by Business World.

The sports complex called Sports Dome include the following facilities: 35,000-seater stadium, multi-purpose training gym, dormitory and medical building, low-rise commercial block, commercial block and recreation, parking building, power house and pump house, practice fields for football, tennis court, sports arena, archery and practical shooting range, indoor basketball, adventure sports, waste management and water treatment facility, aquatics center, and country club.

The P8 billion sports facility is designed to host national and international sporting events.  A P300-million initial budget for the first phase of the sports complex has been approved and included in the General Appropriations Act for this year and construction had just started.

With all these facts and programs which he had done in Davao City, we can say that Philippine sports is in good hands with incoming President Rodrigo Duterte.