Pacquiao: Supporting Marcos fulfills biblical duty to obey leaders

Manny Pacquiao. | FILE PHOTO

DAVAO DEL NORTE – Senate reelectionist Manny Pacquiao on Saturday said he is backing the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in compliance to the Bible.

Pacquiao admitted that he has supported all previous presidents.

“If you look at my background, I support all the presidents,” Pacquiao said in Filipino during an ambush interview after the press conference of members of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas at a resort here.

READ: Manny Pacquiao’s bid to compete at Paris Olympics denied by IOC

“To be honest, as followers of the Lord, we need to submit to the government authorities,” he pointed out speaking in Filipino.

Pacquiao then paraphrased the Romans 13:1, which stated, per New Living Translation: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”

READ: Pacquiao: Do not forget the atrocities during the Marcos regime

“So if we rebel against our leader, does that mean the Lord is lying? That’s clear,” he added in Filipino.

The Alyansa sa Bagong Pilipinas kicks off the Mindanao leg of its campaign here, a province considered the bailiwick of the Duterte family who have become the present administration’s archrival.

Aside from Pacquiao, the administration bloc is fielding Senate reelectionists Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, and Francis Tolentino; former Sens. Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson; House lawmakers Deputy Speaker Camille Villar and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo; and former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos; and Makati city mayor Abby Binay.