DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Jinkee Pacquiao, wife of boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, surprised everyone yesterday afternoon when she filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) to run for vice governor of Sarangani province in the May 2013 elections.
Jinkee arrived at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office in Alabel town at around 1 p.m. with her husband to personally file their COCs.
The Pacquiaos are running under the banner of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) coalition.
Jinkee’s decision surprised residents as she had never before shown or indicated having any political inclination.
She explained she decided to run for vice governor to help her husband carry out his public service tasks in the province.
Pacquiao, who is seeking re-election in the May 2013 polls, welcomed his wife’s political plans, saying certain groups and local leaders urged her to seek the gubernatorial post.
“I will continue what Manny Pacquiao has started,” she told Pacquiao’s legal counsel Franklin Gacal, who said Jinkee had no intention of running for public office until the people of Sarangani urged her to do so.
“No. She never planned it. The leaders of Sarangani urged her to run,” he said.
Pacquiao’s younger brother, Roel, is also running for congressman in the first district of South Cotabato.
If the brothers get lucky, there will be two Pacquiaos in the House after the May elections.
Jinkee is well loved in Sarangani from where she hails, Gacal said, adding her lack of political experience won’t be a hindrance.
“Jinkee is a new face in Sarangani politics. It will be public service above self. Governance without corruption,” said Gacal.
“She will be the epitome of a servant-leader,” the lawyer from General Santos City said.
Now that Pacquiao has filed his COC, it’s on for his eight-week training for his Dec. 8 fight against Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao will train in Los Angeles where they hope there will be less distractions which usually hound his four-week Baguio City camp. He is scheduled to leave for LA soon. – With Abac Cordero