THE SPOTLIGHT may be on Manny Pacquiao, but other sports stars are also running for public office in the May elections, including Yeng Guiao and Jerry Codiñera.
Here’s an excerpt from the Philippine Daily Inquirer article:
Even Jerry Codiñera, named one of the 25 All-Time Best Players in the pro league, has joined the political fray as a nominee of Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA), a party-list group that advocates sports development and the welfare of national athletes.
“Honestly, many politicians have invited me way back,” Codiñera says. “But when a friend conceptualized putting up a party-list for athletes, I could not say no. I have relatives and friends who don’t like the idea. But it’s for the welfare of the athletes. I don’t want to think it’s [just for] politics.”
June 5th, 2007 at 7:07 am
Manny Pacquiao and Fernando Poe Jr have things in common. They were both celebrities with ambitions to serve the people. They were both super popular and for others super heroes.
The apparent differences were one, Pacquiao didnt get so much praise from the Philippine media, while FPJ did so much. Two, Pacquiao was tagged along with PGMA while FPJ was a kumpare of Erap. And three, Pacquiao is rather more popular in the US where most of his fights were held, while FPJ’s fights were all filmed in the Philippine countryside.
But what reality revealed, they both lost in elections because the generation of voting people at the time are all sane if not more intellegent than the generation when Erap won the presidency.
May 9th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Look, we have had lawyers running the echelons of Congress and the local government. And since they’re lawyers, they can circumvent or flaunt the law according to their needs and whims. Just observe how suspended local chief executives who disobey lawful authorities who implement the law to serve the suspension. They who should know more about the law are the first ones to violate it. Lawyer-candidates don’t set the example on where to post election posters. So, it is no surprise that non-lawyers may end up teaching the lawyers on how to legislate in Congress or how to implement laws in their respective bailiwicks. Let’s not leave the legislative mill to lawyers only, lest we end up with so many mouths talking simultaneously with no output to show. So many mouths to feed as we , the taxpapers, pay for them in Congress, but sadly, not to engage in trading barbs but supposed to be buckling down to work.
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
the essence of democracy is the equal opportunity or right given to the people to participate in any affairs (which includes politics), hence being a sport star or a sport icon is not an exemption to such right. but one should submit from the statutes set by the COMELEC to officially avail the run to in public office………. let us remember that “the welfare of the people is the supreme law”, nothing is absolute than the welfare of citizenry - Public office is a commitment that entails sacrifices and is not just a privilege to selected few..
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I believe that we all have our own forte that we should continuously develop. But it doesn’t necessarily imply that being good on one field would already make you an instant expert on another. Running the country is no joke so we should always think (and think again) before we act!
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:37 pm
If we allowed a suspected coup plotter,a gambling and drug lord,There’s nothing wrong for a boxer or any sport personality to run for public office as long as if he or she wins can deliver what the people expect from him.