Pacquiao Opponent outside the Ring Known

Manny Pacquiao is facing a formidable opponent outside the ring as the influential Chongbian clan of Sarangani province made known their plans to challenge him for a duel in the political arena.

Less than a year before the national elections in 2010, the influential Chongbian family of Sarangani in southern Philippines has announced that a top executive of the Chongbian owned shipping firm will face the popular Filipino boxer in a duel outside the ring. Yahoo news reports:

Former Sarangani Gov. Priscilla Chiongbian said the family has chosen Roy Chiongbian, a top executive of Eastern Shipping Lines and said to be the “gatekeeper” of the vast Chiongbian business empire involved in shipping, real estate, agri-business and others, as their official candidate for Congress come 2010 in the province.

Roy is the youngest brother of incumbent Sarangani Rep. Erwin Chiongbian and the son of 80-year-old Priscilla, known as “mother” of the said province.

The anointment of Roy reportedly has the “blessings” and full-backing of the leaders, supporters and loyalists of the Chiongbians, the report added. Pacquiao is seeking a congressional seat in Sarangani province in his second attempt to represent a congressional district. During the last election he ran for a seat in congress against a lady incumbent Darlene Antonino, who happened to be his friend. Pacquiao lost by a wide margin as his constituency were opposed to his mixing boxing with politics. The pound-for-pound king has recently registered as a voter in Sarangani, the home province of his wife Jinkee. As part of Pacquiao’s political strategy to woe voters in the district, the Filipino boxing icon has announced a gigantic infrastructure project in Sarangani that includes the construction of resorts, hotels, medical tourism project, housing and property development and other commercial establishments inside a freeport zone.. The development projects are aimed at providing employment to the people of Sarangani and will serve as a new magnet for commercial activity in the area. Obviously the projects will influence voting preferences among the electorate and will serve as a convenient election selling point. Pacquiao is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles next month to start training at the Wild Card Gym in preparation for his next boxing match in November this year.