SOLID fans who adore not only the Pambansang Kamao in Manny Pacquiao but everything else about him will surely not like this question. But this is exactly what the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will have to determine and rule on after a certain Ferdinand Sevilla of Makati City, filed a petition case against Pacquiao, arguing that that the Sarangani representative should be declared a nuisance for his chronic absenteeism as a member of the House of Representatives.
As ABS-CBN news Correspondent RG Cruz reported, Sevilla contended, “Records show out of 70 session days of the HOR from January 20 to December 17, 2014, Pacquiao had the most number of absences with only 7 days present. While Pacquiao was consistently absent to train for his boxing bout, shoot his television programs or shoot hoops in basketball games, he was denying his constituents representation.”
The petition filed by Sevilla also said that in 2013, Pacquiao incurred 60 absences out of 168 session days, stating that Pacquiao “has failed to fulfill his mandate…He has wasted time, money and other resources.”
Sevilla also argued in his petition that Pacquiao has not retired from professional boxing and, therefore, it cannot guarantee that he will avoid absenteeism and ”conscientiously attend to his mandated task.”
According to the ABS-CBN news report, the petition was left at the Clerk of the Commission’s Office by the Sevilla. However, the “Comelec could not deem the petition filed because the petitioner did not pay the filing fee yesterday”.
As of press time, Comelec Chairman Jose Andres Bautista declined to comment on the unfiled petition.
In previous interviews, Saranggani Congressman Manny Pacquiao said the reason why he was running for senator was to be able to help more people in the Philippines. He said he believes he can do more.
“Unang-una, pagbaba ng buwis sa indibidual. Tapos, importante yung reduce poverty, provide jobs sa ating mga kababayan. Maraming walang trabaho,” Pacquiao said in an ABS-CBN news report.
When asked by “Balitang America” New York Correspondent Don Tagala about his dismal attendance in the House of Representatives in an earlier report, Pacquiao replied, “We cannot please everybody. Isa lang ang ipinagmamalaki ko, taas noo ako na malinis yung hangarin ko at kahit anong sabihin nila, yung pagtulong ko nandiyan dahil diyan ako galing kung saan ako nanggaling.”
Pacquiao is running for senator under VP Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party
What do you think? Should Comelec disqualify Pacquiao in his Senate for his absenteeism in Congress? If he does not get disqualified, will you vote for Manny Pacquiao?
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
