Manny Pacquiao drew attention online after quipping that his luxury watch did not come from the anomalous flood control projects, as politicians are currently under public scrutiny for their lavish lifestyle amid corruption allegations.
Pacquiao, known for his rags-to-riches story, was captured wearing an expensive timepiece in a new video posted on Facebook, in which he makes the brief yet meaningful comment.
The camera man was taking a video of the boxing legend, who is sitting on a chair with his wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, as they tease him about his shining, expensive watch.
‘Hindi ‘yan flood control ha (It’s not from flood control),’ said Manny after the camera guy did a close-up shot of his watch.
In the comments section, netizens pointed out how Pacquiao rose from poverty due to his illustrious boxing career.
‘Si Manny ang may karapatang magflex ng kanyang relo at mga kalagayan sa buhay dahil parehas at walang halong kasamaan ang pinanggalingan ng kanyang kayamanan,’ weighed in one netizen. ‘Grabe hirap maging boxer mukha palagi nakasalalay at sikmura at ulo pwede pang ikamatay. Laya galing ni Pacquiao nalagpasan niya lahat yun nagsikap sya,’ added another netizen. Public anger over the government’s flood control scandal has intensified in recent weeks. Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier claimed that as much as half of the P2 trillion spent on flood-control projects over the past 15 years might have been lost to corruption.
The Senate hearings named some politicians and government officials who allegedly collected kickbacks of up to 20 percent, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, and actor-politician Arjo Atayde, among others.
Public outrage has led to street protests in Manila and major cities, which prompted several Filipino celebrities to speak out, including Anne Curtis, Nadine Lustre, Bianca Gonzalez, and Dingdong Dantes, among others.
Meanwhile, before Pacquiao ventured into politics, he was known as the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight different weight divisions.
He turned professional in 1995 and went on to capture his first world title in 1998. He later became the oldest welterweight world champion in 2019 and remains a global ambassador for Philippine boxing.
Outside the ring, Pacquiao served as a congressman for Sarangani (2010-2016) and as a senator (2016-2022) before running unsuccessfully for president in 2022.