Manny Pacquiao's Wife Jinkee Running for Vice Governor in Philippines
Maria Geraldine "Jinkee" Pacquiao, the wife of Filipino boxer and congressman Manny Pacquiao, is reportedly filing for a certificate of candidacy for vice governor of Sarangani, Philippines.
The decision for Mrs. Pacquiao to run for office reportedly came one hour before her husband decided to file his own certificate for candidacy for Sarangani representative. Malapatan Mayor Alfonso Singcoy reportedly said that the suggestion for Pacquiao's wife to run for office was made by Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez, according to Sun Star reports.
The suggestion was reportedly made after several mayors disagreed over the decision to have another candidate, Juan Domino, running with Vice Governor Steve Solon. Pacquiao's mother, Dionisia Pacquiao, agreed that her son's wife should take on the responsibility of being involved in the politics of her country.
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"She should no longer be shy in public," Pacquiao's mother said in the Sun Star report.
When Mrs. Pacquiao first met her pugilist husband, he was a struggling boxer while she worked in sales and promotions for cosmetics at a department store. However, her husband has grown to take on the responsibility of being a civil servant for his country and she may be following suit.
Pacquiao, a Sarangani Representative, proved his dedication to his constituents when he cut his family vacation in California short to fly home to help flood victims with money that he earned from a boxing match.
"I told my children I have to rush home to help the people in my district," Pacquiao told Inquirer.net. "This is part of my responsibility as a public servant."
The pugilist told the publication that he was willing to use his own money while taking the trip, because "government bureaucracy grinds so slow."
While Pacquiao is known for his boxing skills worldwide, the congressman said that his political role is equally important. Before the the town of Glan in Sarangani was declared to be under a state of calamity due to the flooding of several villages last week, the boxer said he was passionate about improving the lives of his constituents.
"The province of Sarangani, which I represent, is still without a hospital. That is not right, and I cannot rest until my province gets the funds to build one," Pacquiao said in an ESPN report. "Human trafficking is an abomination, and I will not rest until it ceases. And finally, I have dedicated my life to spreading the lessons of the Bible."
