Sen. Manny Pacquiao Speaks on Vote Selling during Election
MANNY PACQUIAO – The presidential aspirant and Senator encouraged the Filipinos not to sell their votes during the election.
After the period set by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for the filing of candidacies has lapsed, the poll body confirmed that there is a total of 97 aspirants for the presidential race in 2022. According to COMELEC, they will still screen the candidates to make sure that there are no nuisance candidates or those who do not really intend to run for a position in the government.
A small portion of the presidential aspirants are known personalities in the government. They are incumbent government officials and the standard-bearers of some political parties. One of those incumbent government officials who filed his COC for president is Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao is vocal about his pursuit to help more Filipinos. It is no secret that he is one of the wealthiest people in the country following his success in boxing but, according to the boxing legend, he can help more and more people if he wins the presidency because the government has a bigger budget that can be used in helping the people.
In the Philippines, one of the usual talks or allegations during the election is vote selling. There are accusations that votes become the exchange of a certain amount of money. With regards to this issue, some presidential aspirants including Sen. Manny Pacquiao have spoken their stand.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Sen. Manny Pacquiao is firm of being against vote-selling. According to him, Filipinos who agree to selling their votes put their future at risk. He encourages the people not to do it and he stressed his faith that the people will make the right choice in the upcoming election.
According to the boxer-turned-senator, the vote can be sold for Php 1,000.00 or Php 2,000.00 but it is supposedly in exchange of six (6) years of sacrifice and struggle.
“Kapalit niyan is 6 na taon pagsasakripisyo, 6 na taon ng paghihirap,” he said.
Sen. Pacquiao expressed that every vote is important. He stressed that he knows that the Filipinos are intelligent to choose who they will allow to lead the country. He reminded the public that the future of the country in the next six years is at stake.
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