GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/09 May) — Boxing icon and senatorial aspirant Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao expressed confidence he could land a Senate seat as he cast his votes before noon on Monday in Kiamba town in Sarangani.
The outgoing Sarangani representative arrived at the Kiamba Central Elementary School at around 11:30 a.m. along with his wife, Sarangani Vice Gov. Jinkee Pacquiao, and immediately proceeded to clustered precinct number 02 amid tight security.
Pacquiao is a registered voter of precinct number 0004B of Poblacion, Kiamba, the hometown of his wife Jinkee.
Wearing a blue green and navy blue-striped polo shirt and khaki pants, Pacquiao initially joined the queue outside the polling precinct but voters gave way for him.
Pacquiao, who is running for the senate under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay, spent nearly 30 minutes inside the polling precinct to make his vote.
As reported by radio station Bombo Radyo here, a paper jam and the running out of thermal paper for the receipt slightly delayed the processing of his ballot by the assigned vote-counting machine but was later resolved after several minutes.
Pacquiao earlier said he is leaving his Senate run to the will of God and will accept the results of the elections.
“I’m ready and willing to serve the people as a senator if God will allow it,” he said.
In the latest surveys, Pacquiao placed in the top six among the senatorial candidates.
Aside from the boxing icon, two of his younger brothers are also seeking elective posts in this city and nearby Sarangani Province.
Alberto “Bobby” Pacquiao, an incumbent councilor of Barangay Labangal here, is seeking a seat in the city council under the People’s Champ Movement-UNA slate.
Another brother, Rogelio “Roel” Pacquiao, is aiming to replace him as representative of Sarangani’s lone congressional district.
Roel resigned in October last year as barangay chair of Apopong here and gave up his ex-officio seat at the city council after transferring his official residence in Alabel town in Sarangani in preparation for his congressional run. (MindaNews)