This was revealed in the article published by Boxing Scene, a popular online boxing news site.
Pacquiao is a longtime friend of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who was elected to the presidency on the platform of eradicating illegal drugs and rampant graft and corruption in government.
“The President, he doesn’t know my experience with drugs,” Pacquiao said, adding he was confident it would not damage their close relationship. “He always gives a chance to people who want to be changed. I tried drugs … many kinds of drugs, all kinds of drugs.”
Pacquiao’s friendship with President Duterte dates back many years ago when he had one of his fights in Davao City where Duterte was still the mayor.
“He helped me a lot. He helped me with the promotion when I started in boxing. One of my fights held in Davao, he sponsored it,” said Pacquiao, a southpaw who has been an eight-division world champion. He helped with the promotion, financially as well.”
During the negotiations for his fight against Floyd Mayweather which took over five years to make, Pacquiao denied he took performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) which the Mayweather camp claimed.
Pacquiao’s admission has nothing to do with Mayweather’s allegations that Pacquiao took PEDs because his reported drug use happened before he became a world champion.
Pacquiao, who is set to face WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, is now halfway to his training for the title fight.
On Tuesday, Pacquiao was joined in training camp by longtime coach and trainer Freddie Roach who flew in from the US with Pacquiao’s sparring partner Jose Ramirez.
