World-renowned boxer, Manny Pacquiao, the pride of the Philippines did not only lose his lucrative deals with the global brand Nike but also faces the possibility of being disqualified in the 2016 senatorial elections because of his upcoming fight with American boxer Timothy Bradley on April 9, 2016.
According to Former Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello he would be forced to file a case seeking Manny Pacquiao’s disqualification once the fighting congressman will not postpone his fight against Timothy Bradley. The April 9 fight of Manny Pacquiao against Bradley falls within the 90-day campaign period that would mean “massive free advertising” for the senatorial candidate.
The former congressman Walden Bello called on Manny Pacquiao to voluntarily postpone his fight or he would be liable for disqualification in the 2016 elections because the fight will surely “mean hours and hours of coverage before, during and after the fight.”
The free advertising due to news article about the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley will be considered as an advantage for Pacquiao compared to the other senatorial candidates who were just relying on their personal efforts to introduce themselves to Filipino voters.
Walden Bellow who is also a senatorial candidate released the following statement: “Manny is a great boxer, and I am a fan, but now that he is also a senatorial candidate, he needs to understand that election laws must apply to everyone. There are limits to political advertising,” Bello said in a statement.