Manny Pacquiao caught the public’s attention online after joking that his luxury watch “did not come from flood control,” amid growing scrutiny of politicians for their lavish lifestyles amid corruption allegations.
The boxing icon, known for his rags-to-riches journey, was featured in a new Facebook video wearing an expensive timepiece. In the clip, Pacquiao sits with his wife, Jinkee, as they playfully tease him about the shining watch.
“Hindi ‘yan flood control ha,” he quipped after the camera zoomed in on his wrist.
Before venturing into politics, Pacquiao made history as the only boxer to win world titles in eight different weight divisions.
He turned professional in 1995, captured his first world title in 1998, and in 2019 became the oldest welterweight world champion. He continues to serve as a global ambassador for Philippine boxing.
The joke comes as public anger over alleged anomalies in government flood-control projects has intensified. Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier claimed that up to half of the P2 trillion spent on flood-control projects over the past 15 years may have been lost to corruption.
Recent Senate hearings named several politicians and officials allegedly involved in collecting kickbacks of up to 20 percent, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, and actor-politician Arjo Atayde.
The revelations have fueled street protests in Manila and other major cities and prompted reactions from Filipino celebrities such as Anne Curtis, Nadine Lustre, Bianca Gonzalez, and Dingdong Dantes.
