Manny Pacquiao: Twitter reacts after Filipino boxing icon announces bid in 2016 senatorial race

Eight-division Filipino world champion Manny Pacquiao has declared his bid to run for senator in the 2016 Philippine election. Pacquiao will run as an aspirant for the 24-seat upper chamber, but refused to reveal under whose political party he would run.

Pacquiao’s announcement didn’t really come as a surprise since it has been widely speculated in recent months that the Filipino boxing icon will run for the Philippine Senate. However, the tweets came fast after social media users shared their opinions on the new Philippine senatorial candidate.

The 36-year-old made his senatorial bid official after delivering his State of the District Address at the Saranggani Provincial Capital Gym on Monday, reported Rappler. He expressed his desire to remain in public service even if his second term in the Philippine House of Representatives is almost over. Pacquiao was elected as the congressman of an indigent region in Southern Philippines in 2010.

“In the coming days, I will be embracing new levels of responsibility,” Pacquiao said. “I will be confronting tough challenges.”

Pacquiao, who had won world championships in various weight divisions, fought and lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May in the bout deemed as the richest and biggest in the history of boxing in recent years. He is currently on a break after sustaining a shoulder injury during training for the bout and expected to return to the squared circle in 2016.

The venue of Pacquiao’s next fight will be the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, but the opponent is yet to be named. Some of the frontrunners for Pacquiao’s comeback fight include former sparring mate Amir Khan and Lucas Matthyse. Longtime rival Juan Manuel Marquez is also being considered even though the Mexican fighter has long expressed his unwillingness to fight the Filipino for the fifth time.

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