MANILA, Philippines — Boxing champion-turned-presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao, whose campaign is centered on fighting poverty and corruption, said he will appoint House Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva as his anti-corruption czar if he wins in the May elections.
Villanueva is an evangelist who represents the Citizens' Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list in the lower chamber.
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“With Brother Eddie, I am confident that justice can finally be attained against the corrupt officials of government—past and present,” Pacquiao said in a statement sent to media Thursday.
Pacquiao, whose rags-to-riches story has inspired people, believes corruption is the reason why many Filipinos remain poor.
“Gusto kong ipaalam sa inyong lahat na kapag ako ay naging presidente, madugo ang aking administrasyon. Hindi patayan kundi ipakukulong lahat ng kawatan sa gobyerno, ‘yung nagsasamantala,” he said during a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.
(I just want you to know that if I become the president, my administration will be bloody. There will be no killings, but I will jail all erring government officials.)
If elected, Pacquiao said he will build a “mega prison” for corrupt government officials.
“Wala akong pakialam kung mayaman ka o mahirap. Ako mismo ang maghihila sa’yo papuntang kulungan,” he said.
(I don’t care if you are rich or poor. I will be the one to drag you to jail.) — Gaea Katreena Cabico