SPORTS, an activity dear to the hearts of millions of Filipinos, not surprisingly is on the ballot in the coming midterm elections. But the other surprise is that only a few partylists, in fact, just three of the 156 partylists are using athletics as their main vehicle for political success.
Their platforms, as expected, generally speak of upgrading the quality of Filipino athletes and pushing for sports development but none had specifics on how to achieve this.
What is noticeable though, is that these partylists are using acronyms that had nothing to do with their objectives but can obviously help in name recall.
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Two of the partylists have boxing icon-turned-politician Manny Pacquiao as its draw card and the other is using the acronym of the country's most popular and easily recognizable basketball league, the PBA, although its proponents have nothing to do with league, whose name can be good for public recognition.
The PBA itself is reportedly helpless in stopping this group from using the acronym.
The partylist is officially known as Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA), which appears to be a Davao-based group as its nominees are politicians and families from that province. Not surprisingly, this group had success in previous elections. Not known, however, is the kind of legislation it has pushed in Congress to benefit athletes.
The PBA describes itself as one that "represents the interest of Filipino sportspeople" and is led by its chairman Jericho Nograles and leader Migs Nograles. First participating in 2007, the group won a seat in 2010, lost in 2013, but has gained seats in the last three elections.
Its president Mark Aeron Sambar is the group's first nominee for this year's elections, while Rambo Nuñez Ortega, the husband of actress Maja Salvador, is the second nominee.
Curiously, PBA only has only one nominee among the 10 listed with ties to sports - Dennis Cheng Laogan who is a former commissioner of the Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM), which is its third nominee.
The other partylists campaigning for office with sports development as its main advocacy are 1-Pacman (One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals) and MPBL (Maharlikang Pilipino sa Bagong Lipunan).
Behind these partylists is the looming figure of Pacquiao, the beloved eight-division champion and boxing Hall of Fame inductee, who made the country recognized globally with his past exploits.
No longer boxing at the highest level, but still a draw if he chooses to do exhibitions, Pacquiao has lent his image and name to these two organizations while running again for the Senate in the coming polls under the team put up by the current Marcos administration.
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1-Pacman, founded by NorthPort Batang Pier owner Mikee Romero, has won seats in the House of Representatives in the last three elections. Besides sports, its platform also focuses on improving education and creating jobs for the masses.
Because Mikee Romero has served for three terms, and therefore no longer eligible to run, his daughter and Capital1 Solar Spikers owner Milka Romero, has been named the group's first nominee, while former boxer and Manny Pacquiao's brother Bobby is its second candidate.
MPBL, on the other hand, is more famously known as the acronym of the regional basketball pro league that Pacquiao founded -the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, a regional competition that has been slowly getting traction and competing with the PBA for homegrown talent.
In this case, however, MPBL stands for another group but uses the initials for familiarity purposes with Pacquiao unabashedly leading its charge.
The group, in its platform, said, it is "focused on strengthening the nationwide grassroots sports development program, boost poverty alleviation programs, construct high-quality sports facilities, and increase support for the thriving e-sports industry."
Ronwald Munsayac, Pacquiao's spokesperson and former San Sebastian College-Recoletos management committee representative in the NCAA, is the group's first nominee.
But, lo and behold, the second nominee is Pacquiao's wife Jinkee, who, like hundreds of partylist candidates, has no known parliamentary skill.
Other nominees for MPBL, however, has strong ties to sports, basketball in particular. Kenneth Duremdes, former PBA MVP and current MPBL commissioner, is the third nominee. The others are league legal counsel Ildebrando Viernesto (fourth), and former player and league head of operations Emmerson Oreta (10th).
Nominees with ties to sports
Meanwhile, Meralco Bolts team manager Paolo Trillo is listed as the ninth nominee for 1-Munti, a partylist that advocates "children's welfare, proper nutrition, and quality education."
There are also groups which do not directly advocate sports but are active in the sporting community.
Among those are Solid North Party, which backs the Mapua Cardinals in the NCAA and Abra Weavers in the MPBL; DUMPER PTDA, which supports Sinag Liga Asya; and FPJ Panday Bayanihan which is a sponsor of the Ang Liga football league.
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