Influential politician and kingmaker Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson said that a Sara Duterte-Manny Pacquiao ticket in 2022 is fine with him.
Singson’s comments were reported by the Manila Times. Singson is currently mayor of Narvacan town in Ilocos Sur.
The Philippines will hold a national election on May 9, 2022.
Sara ‘Inday’ Duterte-Carpio is the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte. She is also mayor of Davao City.
“There are [too] many; among them are ‘Manny’ Pacquiao, [Vice President Maria Leonora] ‘Leni’ Robredo, Inday Sara, [Manila] Mayor {Francisco] ‘Isko Moreno’ [Domagoso], [Sen. Panfilo] Lacson, (Sen.) Grace Poe and many more,” Singson said in the report.
Singson, who is also the former governor of Ilocos Sur, added that he will wait for the decision of President Duterte before he decides for himself on who to support in the 2022 elections.
“We don’t know, [but] as far as I am concerned, I will wait for the decision of the President before I decide. And whoever he will be endorsing, I will support,” he said in the Manila Times report.
“If Sara will be the candidate for president and Manny as vice president or vice versa, that is okay with me, but whatever will be the President’s decision, I will have to wait,” Singson said.
He added that he does not advise Pacquiao to go back to the boxing ring now that his supposed opponent, Conor McGregor, was defeated in a recent fight.
Pacquiao is currently a member of the Philippine Senate.
“I don’t advise Manny to fight again. And those boxing promoters have nothing [on their mind] but to get more money [from Pacquiao]. That is why they keep pushing him to fight again. They care only for a big amount of money, [and they don’t care about] Manny’s destruction,” Singson said.
Also the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, he also advised the country’s 1,488 municipal mayors to wait for the President’s decision regarding the 2022 elections.
On December 31, 2020, results of a Pulse Asia survey showed that Sara Duterte is the leading contender for the presidential race in the 2022 national elections.
Results of the survey showed that 26 percent of the 2,400 respondents would vote for Duterte should she decide to run in the 2022 polls.
She was followed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and Senator Grace Poe who both received the support of 14 percent of respondents.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso got 12 percent while Senator Manny Pacquiao got 10 percent.
Meanwhile, eight percent of the respondents said they would vote for Vice President Leni Robredo while four percent picked Senators Panfilo Lacson and Christopher “Bong” Go.
For vice president, Domagoso emerged as the top contender, followed by Duterte, Senate President Vicente Sotto, Marcos, Pacquiao, Go, and Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero.
Pacquiao topped the list for possible senatorial bets, garnering 62.1 rating.
He was followed by broadcaster Raffy Tulfo and Mayor Duterte with 54.3 percent and 50.9 percent ratings, respectively.
Moreno also emerged as one of the preferred Senate bets (48.4 percent) with Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero (46.7 percent) and Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano (46 percent).
Completing the top 12 are Antique Representative Loren Legarda with 45.6 percent, Marcos with 41.8 percent, Lacson with 38.2 percent, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri with 35.7 percent, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian with 28.1 percent, and former Senator Jinggoy Estrada with 28 percent.