WITH less than three weeks to go before the May 12 midterm elections, candidates for both local and national positions are digging in for the crucial stretch of the campaign.
That includes former athletes and sportsmen vying for public office, some for national and most for local positions, some doing well than others.
Let's see how their campaigns look so far:
Senate
Manny Pacquiao
The eight-division world champion is facing an uphill battle is his political comeback since placing a far third in the 2022 Presidential elections. The latest survey released by the Social Weather Station (SWS) conducted in early April shows Pacquiao sitting precariously at 12th place with 25 percent of respondents saying they intend to vote for him. Worryingly, candidates like Willie Revillame and Imee Marcos are on his tail at tied 13th-14th. Other surveys conducted in March by Pulse Asia and Octa Research showed the same trend for the former boxing star, who placed seventh with more than 16 mllion votes when he won a Senate seat in 2016. But knowing the 'Pacman.' he has defied far bigger odds than this in the past, both in boxing and in life.
Tito Sotto
Doing much better in the Senate race is Tito Sotto, who ranked consistently in the Top 5 since the campaign season began. The April survey of SWS was no different, placing Sotto at 4-5 with 33%. Although known more as a TV host and comedian, Sotto is a former member of the Philippine bowling team who was the country's representative at the 1978 bowling World Cup in Bogota, Colombia and in the 1984 World Cup in Sydney. He was elected president of the Philippine Bowling Federation in 2022.
Congress
Franz Pumaren
The former PBA star, national player and multi-titled coach is running for a second term as representative of Quezon City's third district in Congress. A three-time councilor of one of Metro Manila's premier cities, Pumaren, 63, is locked in a heated rematch with Allan Benedict Reyes, who he unseated in the 2022 elections where the former San Miguel guard won by around 5,000 votes.
Manny Lopez
The former president of the country's boxing association is in a grudge match with incumbent Rep. Ernix Dionisio for the Congressional seat in Manila's First District. The former POC vice-president beat Dionisio in a three-way fight also involving Atong Asilo in 2016 but lost to Dionisio in their 2022 rematch. The longtime rivals have also gone through a game of musical chairs, with Dionisio now allied with comebacking mayoral candidate Isko Moreno and the son of former Manila mayor Mel Lopez running under the Asenso party of incumbent mayor Honey Lacuna.
Eric Buhain
One of the most bemedalled swimmers ever in Philippine sports, Buhain is seeking a second term as representative of the first district of Batangas - a position previously occupied by his wife, Eileen Ermita-Buhain. The two-time Olympian is now running under the banner of the Nacionalista Party headed by gubernatorial candidate Vilma Santos, going up against independent Leandro Leviste - son of former governor Jose Antonio Leviste and Senator Loren Legarda.
Richard Gomez
The actor, a former national fencer and ex-president of the fencing federation, is seeking a second term in Congress as the Leyte third district's representive. Gomez, however, faces still opposition from Vicente Sofronio 'Ching' Veloso, scion of another political family in the province. Anna Tuazon-Veloso is the incumbent representative of the third district. Gomez's wife Lucy Torres is also running for a second term as mayor of Ormoc City.
Partylist nominees
Oddly, only 3 of 156 partylists vying for Congress seats in the May elections claim to champion sports - and only a few of their nominees hold direct links to sports. One of the few exceptions are former PBA MVP Kenneth Duremdes, ex-boxer Bobby Pacquiao, and Capital1 co-owner Milka Romero. Duremdes, commissioner of MPBL (Maharlika Pilipino Basketball League), is the third nominee of its partylist namesake MPBL (Maharlikang Pilipino sa Bagong Lipunan) behind Ronwald Munsayac (first nominee) and Pacquiao's wife Jinkee. However, the MPBL partylist isn't ranking well in most surveys. Romero is taking over from dad Mikee, who won a House seat in the last three elections under 1-Pacman. Manny's brother Bobby Pacquiao is the group's second nominee. Aside from the three, Meralco team manager Paolo Trillo is listed as the ninth nominee of 1-Munti.
Vice Governor
Dennis 'Delta' Pineda
After serving one term as Pampanga governor, basketball patron Dennis 'Delta' Pineda has switched positions with mom Lilia and will be running for vice-governor instead. Lilia Pineda, also a former governor, will be running against Danilo Baylon while Delta will be going up against former priest Ed Panlilio for the vice-governor post. Both Pinedas are leading in most polls. Aside from that, Lilia Pineda's daughter Mylyn, wife of Converge team governor Archen Cayabyab, is gunning for the mayoralty of San Fernando, Pampanga.
Matthew Manotoc
In a surprise twist, Matthew Manotoc announced late last year that he was abandoning his bid for a second term as Ilocos Norte governor and sliding down to the vice-governor race, switching places with aunt Cecille Araneta-Marcos. The son of champion golfer and multi-titled PBA coach Tommy Manotoc is a former national golfer and partner in the Espiritu Manotoc Basketball Management with Danny Espiritu's son Marvin. Together they manage the careers of a growing clientele of top players. He is running unopposed.
Mayor
Vergel Meneses
The former PBA MVP is eyeing a third term as mayor of Bulakan, Bulacan, which is set to become a hub of business activity once a new airport being built in the town is completed. The 'Aerial Voyager' soundly beat former mayor Patrick Neil Meneses in the 2022 elections, 24,195 votes to 12,611, and is not letting up on the campaign trail.
Francis Zamora and Philip Cezar
The two former basketball players are pitted against each other in the mayoralty race in San Juan City. Zamora, a former La Salle player in college who also played briefly for Welcoat in the old PBL, is a heavy favorite to win a third term as mayor. Cezar is an all-time great in the PBA who was a former vice mayor of the city.
Vice Mayor
Dondon Hontiveros
Former PBA star Dondon Hontiveros is unbeaten in two previous runs for a council seat in Cebu City, but faces a daunting battle as he bids to keep the vice-mayor post he inherited during the previous term. The basketball great will be up against Tommy Osmena, who served as mayor of Cebu City for 18 years and another term as its congressman, and Joey Daluz - running mate of sitting mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia - in a three-cornered race.
Dodot Jaworski
The former Ginebra player is eyeing a second term as vice mayor of Pasig City. A running mate of popular mayor Vico Sotto, Jaworski is pitted against former vice mayor Iyo Caruncho Bernardo and Marc dela Cruz. Dodot is the son of PBA legend Robert Jaworski and is married to the former Mikee Cojuangco, a former actress, bemedalled equestrienne and currently the International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative to the Philippines.
Monsour del Rosario
Del Rosario, a former actor and an Olympian in taekwondo, is running for vice mayor of Makati as a running mate of former Senator Nancy Binay. After previously serving as councilor and representative of the city in Congress from 2016 to 2019, he is set to square off with Romulo 'Kid' Pena - who previously served as acting mayor, vice mayor and congressman of Makati.
Councilors
Among the basketball figures running for council seats in May are two-time PBA MVP James Yap and Renren Ritualo (San Juan First District), two-time PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso (Urdaneta, Pangasinan), UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag (Makati, First District), Don Allado (San Juan Second District), Bong Alvarez (Manila Third District), Elvis Tolentino (Marikina Second District), Bonel Balingit [Cebu City], Lyceum coach Gilbert Malabanan (San Pedro, Laguna), former UST star Jeric Teng (Gumaca), Arellano’s Ian Alban (Manila First District).
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
