Manny Pacquiao has made it clear that he will enter politics for good once he exits from the sport of boxing. Manny Pacquiao has even announced that he will retire from boxing probably some time around the August of 2009. Can he go from the people's champion to the people's people?  Politics for Manny Pacquiao has been a bit of a thorn in his life because at one hand he is very passionate to go into politics but on the other hand he can’t land a political seat because his fans won’t let him. Manny Pacquiao ran for a congressional seat to represent the 1st district of South Cotabato in May 17th 2007, but incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio defeated him. In the election, Custodio had 139,061 votes, whereas Pacquiao received 75,908 votes. The lopsided defeat became a depressing matter for the boxer himself because he lost a huge sum of money when his supporters allegedly funneled campaign funds to their own pockets.

 

Manny Pacquiao doesn’t appear to be having the same dynamic impact in the ballot box as he does in the ringed square. Many of Manny Pacquiao’s own fans are turned off by his presence in politics because they believe it will smear his image because of the dirty world of politics. On February 24, 2007, in Cebu City, Manny Pacquiao, for the first time ever, was booed by thousands of spectators when the organizers of The Battle of Cebu, a WBO-sanctioned boxing festival, acknowledged his presence.  Manny Pacquiao has already got the endorsement from President Arroyo, but even that can become a curse because of the many anti-Arroyo sentiments in certain areas of the Philippines. Manny Pacquiao is relentless in his pursuit of politics and has transfer his residence from General Santos City to Manila, a clear sign suggesting he will seek to run for an elective post in the capital.

As long as Manny Pacquiao continue to be boxing, his other passion for politics may have to be put on hold. After Manny Pacquiao latest political defeat to congresswoman Antonino-Custodio, ironically Pacquiao's fans rejoiced over his defeat, some even declared his loss as a "victory" for boxing. Manny Pacquiao has vowed at the mean time to return to boxing and to spend more time with his family. Manny Pacquiao is not a person that takes his loss lightly and you can lock it in that there will be a rematch with his political counterparts in the near future. Love him or hate him in politics, Manny Pacquiao is a fighter for the Filipino people with or without the gloves.