Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.
— Elon Musk
IT appears that things aren’t going well for aspiring president incumbent Senator Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao and in what hints as doubts in his bid for the presidency, he has expressed his willingness to step out of the presidential race even at the last minute.
But this, the People’s Champ, pointed out would only happen if he will see “conviction” from God.
In auspicious terms, Pacquiao stated: “The only thing na puwede ako mag-decide na hindi ako tumuloy (ay) ‘pag may conviction ang Panginoon sa akin na huwag nang tumuloy.”
“Sino ba naman ako para kontrahin ang Panginoon?” he added with a query.
Yet at this point, the eight-division world champion, who has weathered overwhelming odds during his illustrious boxing career spanning more than two decades, is still adamant in his pursuit to win the highest position in the land as he claims that he will not withdraw from the presidential derby until “he gets ‘instructions’ or signs from God (to do so), even if there are only one to two days left before the elections.
But obviously, the important question here is how could he know the signs? Here the politico-cum-Christian pastor cited his own experience during his legendary boxing career when he used to dream about the result of his upcoming match, which would always come true.
He revealed: “Nanaginip ako, ‘di ‘yan kuwento lang . . . May mga pinagsasabihan ako bago maganap iyon laban. At exactly iyong sinabi ko na nanaginip ako, ‘yon ang exactling nangyari sa fight.”
Still, if he discerns that God wants him to wthdraw his presidential candidacy, Pacquiao said he would be willing to obey God’s ‘instructions’ because he has “no vested interest” in the presidency and that the only reason he wants to become president is to help the poor and the needy by ending the culture of corruption that is now prevalent in government.
“Hindi ko kailangan na magpayaman d’yan, hindi ko kailangan magnakaw d’yan. Ang gusto ko ang tulungan ang kasama ko . . . kasi ‘yan ang misyon ko,” he said.
But as it appears, are the people surrounding him apt to the job of promoting him as the ‘Man of Destiny’ they say he is?
For three weeks, I was fortunate to join the Pinoy boxing icon in his campaign sorties and caravans in Pateros, Malabon, Pasig, North Caloocan, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Pangasinan, and what I saw I didn’t like.
Pacman had always been advocating that he was after the votes of the poor—those in the lower C, D and E strata of our society. But how could he touch the hearts of these people when those around him move around wearing designer clothes and riding on posh luxury cars that belie their true intent in campaigning for the People’s Champ?
The truth, if told, is that Pacquiao’s campaign team looks like they really don’t care if the incumbent senator wins because win or lose, they would still be paid hefty amounts for their efforts. This we already see from the flashy clothes they wear and the flashy attitude they bear.
If it’s true that they are wholeheartedly campaigning for their presidential bet, then why in one survey was Manila’s mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso able to dislodge Pacman from third place? Maybe Moreno is well-known across the country but can he beat Pacquiao in popularity to achieve the unthinkable? And what has Isko done to outshine the People’s Champ?
I feel sad for the Pacman. This time he is being ‘fooled’ by the people around him and he will just lose millions from the wealth he has acquired from giving honor to our country and putting his life on the line.
I sure hope God sends him His divine message because Pacquiao does not need to be a David to win over Goliath. All he needs to do is follow what Jesus taught us: “To love God above all else and to love our brethren the way we love ourselves.”
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