During champ’s 39th birthday bashDAVAO City, Philippines — President Duterte is urging senator and former international boxing champion Manny Pacquiao to give the presidency a run in the 2022 general elections. Duterte has long been a fan and a supporter of Pacquiao in all his bouts even if the boxer did not support the former Davao City mayor in the May 2016 elections. Pacquiao was then supporting former Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay which Duterte said he perfectly understood as there were political commitments that the senator had to honor then. But when Duterte won, Pacquiao emerged as one of the staunch supporters of the President. At the same time, Duterte lauded Pacquiao for the honor he has given the nation with his boxing feats that has made him a global icon of the sport.

Source: Philippine Star December 18, 2017 16:43 UTC