Manny Pacquiao is looking to take his political career to the next level.
The welterweight boxing superstar announced on Sunday that he’s running for president of the Philippines in 2022. The announcement came during the national assembly of the PDP-Laban Party.
“I am a fighter, and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring,” Pacquiao said in a live-streamed speech during the assembly. “I am accepting your nomination as candidate for president of the Republic of the Philippines.”
Pacquiao, 42, has been a senator in the Philippines’ parliament since 2016. His status as a boxing icon has boosted his popularity in the country to the point where he now believes he can take a run at the presidency.
There has been speculation that Pacquiao, who is the only man to hold world titles in eight different divisions, will retire from boxing after his defeat to Yordenis Ugas in August by unanimous decision.
If Pacquiao is serious about his bid at the Filipino presidency, then it would likely confirm the end of his boxing career. Pacquiao would finish his career with a career record of 62-8-2.
Pacquiao’s political reputation is defined by two key issues.
The first is his controversial stance on gay marriage. Pacquiao said that people in same-sex couples were “worse than animals” during his initial senate bid in 2016. He later apologized for the comments but stood behind his opposition of gay marriage, citing his faith as a Christian.
“I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals,” Pacquiao said in a Facebook post. “Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. I still stand on my belief that I’m against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I’m not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I’m praying for you.”
Pacquiao has also been public in his opposition to China.
Pacquiao criticized current president Rodrigo Duterte’s relationship with China, specifically his leniency in allowing China to intrude into his country’s waters in the South China Sea in July.
Pacquiao was voted out as the leader of the PDP-Laban party weeks after challenging Duterte’s stance on China, but the faction rejected his ouster.
Duterte is not allowed to run for another term, though his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, could top a ticket in which he would serve as the vice president.
Now, his party will stand behind him in the boldest political mission of his career.