Pacquiao gave this reaction following reports that some candidates had urged him to withdraw from the presidenctial race in the May 2022 polls.
“Sila umatras kasi sa akin; laban ng bayan ito. Hindi ito laban sa sarili ko or laban sa pamilya ko. Laban ito ng taong bayan,” he said in an interview on Monday, February 7, 2022 in Cebu.
Pacquiao claimed that other aspirants are running for president solely for themselves.
Pacquiao was in Cebu on Monday, February 7, a day before the start of the 90-day campaign period for national candidates, as he led the groundbreaking ceremony of a community center situated in a housing development project in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
The four-story community center that Pacquiao donated will be built for members of the Malibu-Matimco Village Homeowners Association Inc. (MMVHAI).
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede were also present during the groundbreaking ceremony.
Pacquiao said he is confident that many Cebuanos, if not all, will support and vote for him during the May 2022 elections because of his Cebuano roots.
Pacquaio’s father, Rosalio, hails from Pinamungajan town in southwestern Cebu.
“Alam ko ang mga puso ng mga Cebuano, kasi taga Cebu rin ako. Kinsa may motabang sa atoa? Kita lang gihapong mga Cebuano. Kita gihapon magtinabangay ug mag-inunungay,” he stressed.
Pacquiao said he will continue to roam around the country to share his plans and programs for the Filipino people, hoping that he will gain votes from doing so.
Should he win as the next president of the Philippines, Pacquiao assured the Filipino people, including the MMVHAI, that his government will not only complement the ongoing reclamation housing project but also work closely with the local government unit for its immediate implementation.
He said he plans to build at least 10 million free houses for the country’s 1.6 million informal settlers and more than nine million families who are just renting apartments or sharing spaces with extended families.