Boxing icon-turned-politician Manny Pacquiao spoke before the students of two of the most prestigious universities in the world on Monday wherein he talked about his experiences as a politician.
It was previously reported that Pacquiao was invited to speak before the debating society of Oxford University, Oxford Union, and talk about “his career, both about his epic boxing journey and his career in Filipino politics”, said Oxford Union secretary Tom Brown.
On November 6 (Manila time), he also went to Cambridge University to deliver a speech as well.
Pacquiao admitted that facing the students of one of the well-known school is “more intimidating” than fighting with a boxer inside a boxing ring.
He added that politics was never in his interests in the beginning but the calling to help his fellow Filipinos pushed him to seek a position in the government.
“Politics will never be my comfort zone. But public service is my clarion call. My compassion for the plight of my people is what motivated me to enter the world of public service in 2010 as a representative of Sarangani in the Philippine Congress,” he said.
He also talked about his priorities as a senator when it comes to making laws that will benefit people from different walks of life.
“As a legislator, I am waging war against modern-day slavery, supporting the cause of my fellow athletes, pushing for better healthcare services, and building more resilient communities,” said Pacquiao.
The boxer-politician also addressed the bloody drug war in the Philippines denying that there are extra-judicial killings (EJKs) in the Duterte administration’s initiative to obliterate drug use in the country.
Pacquiao, who is a known supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, said that the drug-related killing are mostly the results of those suspects who resist arrest.
The senator also made a hint about his plans to run as president of the Philippines in 2022 after Duterte’s administration. However, he said that this is something he has not given a serious thought about.
Aside from Oxford, he also spoke in Cambridge University wherein he talked about his rags-to-riches story. He admitted that he did not receive the traditional college education and that he was not able to experience university life. However, he said that his educational background will not hinder him from serving the country.
“I have not experienced how it is to pursue a degree like a regular university student. My circumstances were very different from yours. But I did not allow these circumstances to limit me. I worked on and finally received my degree through the Alternative Learning System. More importantly, I continue to learn from the university called life,” he said.
“I was born into poverty. There is a Filipino metaphor that goes “mas mahirap pa sa daga,” which translates to “more destitute than a rat.” From a very young age, I had to struggle daily to survive. I fought hard. I faltered. I failed. Many times. But I learned to rise again each time I fell. Each setback became a platform for a comeback,” Pacquiao added.
