What Lito Banayo tried to float around, a possible Leni Robredo-Manny Pacquiao tandem in 2028, triggered an immediate denial from the Palace but the idea is catching the imagination of many pundits. In fact, it sent some chills to the opposite camp of Sara Duterte-Robin Padilla. The latest survey showed that the gap between the two teams is only 12 points.
In the last presidential elections, the only regions won by Leni Robredo were Region 5 (Bicol Region) and Region 6 (Western Visayas Region) and some victories in the Samar provinces. With the entry of Manny Pacquiao, he will break the Mindanao vote and the Visayan vote coming from vote-rich Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte. Pacman will definitely break the Duterte stronghold in the five Davao provinces (Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao de Oro).
In all probability, Manny Pacquiao will take away from VP Sara a number of votes in Northern Mindanao and in the Caraga regions aside from Soccsksargen and the Western Mindanao, and the Zamboanga Peninsula. Pacman will be Leni's weapon with which to conquer Sara Duterte. With the support of BBM for the Sara-Pacman team, Sara and Robin will definitely lose in Region 1 (Ilocos), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon) and Region 4-A (Calabarzon) and Region 4-B (Mimaropa). The NCR can go either way.
The entry of Manny Pacquaiao will also neutralize the vice president's so-called stronghold over the OFWs absentee voting bloc. The contrasts between Robin and Manny are many and very well-defined. Apart from his one record of marital infidelity, Pacquiao is a model husband and a very devoted father. Robin has always been known as a bad boy and a womanizer with a number of children with different women. This matter is a very important factor in a largely Christian and predominantly Catholic country.
The contrast between the integrity, accountability, and transparency of the Leni Robredo's style of leadership and governance and the ostentatious, wasteful, and highly-questionable records of the current vice president would not escape from the scrutiny of the voters especially by the millennials and the Gen Z’s who constitute more than one half of the voting population. The ranks of the diehard DDS are gradually being eroded by the many exposés in the impeachment proceedings.
It is our prediction that if and when the Leni-Pacman team materializes, the Sara-Robin tandem will most probably lose in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 4-B, the CAR, 5, and 6. The Sara-Robin tandem may manage to win in Region 7 (if the Cebuanos refuse to see the light) and perhaps in Region 8 but with the Romualdezes as nemeses, Sara may even lose in the two Leytes and the three Samar provinces.
Sara's strength in Mindanao may still hold in Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 as well as in the BARMM (with Robin's Muslim affiliation). But Mindanao will not be solid anymore with Manny Pacquiao being on the side of Leni. Over-all, the Leni-Pacman ticket will most probably beat Sara 60% to 40%. The impeachment proceedings are taking chunks of voters away from the vice president. The young ones are greatly affected by evidence of irresponsibility and taint of dishonesty.
Provided that there shall be a one-on-one and not a pintakasi of multiple candidates, there is a big chance that Sara will be beaten by Leni in 2028.