Recently retired boxing great Manny Pacquiao officially began his bid for higher office as he filed his certificate of candidacy for the Philippine presidency.
The race to succeed Rodrigo Duterte as Philippines president thus started on Friday.
Senator Pacquiao, who recently ended his stellar boxing career, is a serious contender for the position. Among those in the contest include Duterte’s own daughter.
The twelve-time boxing champion announced his retirement from the sport to focus on politics.
Pacquiao, 42, won his first major title at 19 when he took the WBC flyweight strap and in a professional career which spanned 26 years, he became the first octuple champion having won in eight different weight divisions.
In his most recent bout against Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Nevada in August, Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision.
Pacquiao announced a run for the Philippine House of Representatives in 2007 but was knocked back at the polls, eventually winning at the ballot box in 2010. He became a senator in 2015 and announced a bid to become president last month.
