Pacquiao returns to Manila and the real work of politics

MANILA — With another world title won, Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao touched down in Manila on Tuesday keen to get back to the real work of politics. The 37-year-old senator claimed the WBO welterweight title with a unanimous points victory over American Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas on Saturday, his first bout since April. “I went back after the fight because there is still work at the office and I’m excited to get back to work,” Pacquiao, wearing a flower garland, told reporters at the airport alongside Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa. “So boxing is done, set aside for now, and just focus on work.” The southpaw, winner of world titles in eight different weight divisions and the first sitting senator to win a world boxing championship, has not ruled out fighting again. The former congressman, who has a 59-6-2 win-loss-draw record, said after Saturday’s bout that he would like a rematch with retired American Floyd Mayweather Junior who beat him last year. Meanwhile, the Philippine presidency on Sunday hailed the latest victory of boxing idol Pacquiao, comparing his resolve to its own bloody and controversial war on drugs. Pacquiao, 37, reclaimed the World Boxing Organization welterweight title for the third time in Las Vegas. As with previous Pacquiao fights, the match was broadcast on large screens in public plazas and malls so the public could see their hero in action. “Once again, Manny’s triumph united and brought joy to our people and our nation,” a palace statement said. “The courage and grit displayed by our Filipino boxers in Las Vegas are the same qualities we must demonstrate as a nation to rid society of drugs, criminality and corruption,” it said. “Government has been successfully waging a war on these fronts and we as a people — emulating our boxers’ toughness against all odds — must continue the strong gains as we battle towards victory.” Pacquiao, who parlayed his sporting fame to secure election to the Senate in May, endorsed President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, which has left more than 3,700 people dead in four months and has been condemned by human rights groups and foreign countries. Over the years Pacquiao has galvanized the nation, rising from poverty to win eight world championships, then amassing a fortune in commercial endorsements before going into politics. — Reuters