President Rodrigo R. Duterte wants to get updates on Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao’s P2.2 billion tax evasion case after the lawmaker alleged the government is still riddled with corruption.
During his meeting with members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) last Tuesday, Duterte took another swipe against the boxing champ and senator after he alleged the Department of Health, Department of Energy and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are engaged in corrupt practices.
“I remember he has a tax evasion case and he has been assessed to pay P2.2 billion, which he owes to the government for [his income in] all of his fights,” Duterte said.
He said he raised the issue to question the credibility of Pacquiao in calling out the government’s corruption.
“If we are corrupt, you are also the same when you cheat the government [of taxes],” Duterte said.
Duterte and Pacquiao have been exchanging criticisms since Pacquiao raised concerns over the the administration’s policy on the West Philippine Sea and the meeting of the PDP-Laban last May.
Despite both being high ranking official of PDP-Laban, Duterte and Pacquiao disagreed on the party’s direction for the election next year.
Some lawmakers claimed Pacquiao plans to run for president in the 2022 polls although this is yet to be officially confirmed by the boxing champ’s camp.
Serious consideration
Meanwhile, Duterte confirmed he is “seriously” running for vice president next year to continue his anti-corruption and illegal drug advocacy.
However, he said he will only run if he will have an assurance that he will not be sidelined in the new administration.
Duterte said PDP-Laban should consider his former aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to be its standard bearer on the next polls.
Go, who has been getting more coverage from stated-owned media, welcomed the endorsement, but he fell short of officially accepting it.
“Consider me the last [to become a presidential candidate]. I am not interested to run for the presidency because I know how difficult it is. I may [accept] if you have no other [candidate],” Go said.
“I will leave my fate to God,” he added.