Boxing icon Pacquiao to run for Philippine president

dpa Manila Global boxing icon Manny Pacquiao threw his hat into the ring on Sunday to run for president of the Philippines in next year’s elections. Pacqu...

dpa ManilaGlobal boxing icon Manny Pacquiao threw his hat into the ring on Sunday to run for president of the Philippines in next year’s elections.Pacquiao, who is a member of the Philippines senate for the ruling PDP-Laban party, promised he would rule with “integrity, compassion and transparency.” “I am a fighter and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring,” he said, addressing supporters and allies at the PDP-Laban party conference on Sunday.“In my entire life, I have never backed down from a fight as I stand firm in the name of principle and honour of country,” added the 42-year-old eight-division boxing champion.Pacquiao announced his bid more than one week after a rival faction of PDP-Laban endorsed Senator Christopher Go as their presidential candidate, with current President Rodrigo Duterte as its choice for vice president.Accepting the faction’s nomination, Duterte said he would run for vice president to “continue the crusade” against drugs and the country’s communist insurgency.In June, a rift broke out between Pacquiao and Duterte after the boxing icon lamented that corruption had grown worse under Duterte’s rule.Pacquiao has also criticised Duterte’s stand in the territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea as “lacking” and “disheartening.” Under Philippine laws, a president is limited to one six-year term, and Duterte’s term will end in June 2022.Critics have warned that Duterte could be planning to hold onto power by running for the vice presidency.The office would also give him immunity from prosecution, which may well be an important consideration after the International Criminal Court announced on Thursday that it would begin an official investigation into alleged crimes against humanity carried out during Duterte’s “war on drugs.”