Boxer Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president in 2022. Boxing star Manny Pacquiao says he will run for president of the Philippines next year after railing against corruption in government and what he calls President Rodrigo Duterte’s cosy relationship with China. Pacquiao, currently a senator, was nominated on Sunday by his PDP-Laban party allies during the group’s national assembly, days after a rival faction nominated Duterte as its choice for vice president and his longtime aide, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, as the party’s presidential candidate. Pacquiao, 42, presents a potential obstacle to Duterte’s succession plans as the race for the top post takes shape. “I’m a fighter and will always be a fighter, inside and outside of the ring,” Pacquiao said at the event. “All my life, I haven’t backed down from any fight. Nothing is impossible if it’s ordained by God.” Pacquiao’s presidential bid is seen by analysts as a threat to Duterte’s candidate in 2022, as the boxer could split the vote in the southern island that both come from, opening the door for opposition figures. Go declined the nomination, but the rift between the Pacquiao and Duterte factions has escalated. The senator ranked fifth among 15 possible presidential candidates in a June survey by PulseAsia.
