Election Profile

Personal Information

• Age and date of birth: 46 (Dec. 17, 1978)
• Party: Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
• Highest Educational Attainment: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, major in Local Government Administration, University of Makati (2019)
• Highest Government Position Held: Senator

Summary

Stance on Key Issues

On Poverty, Controlling Inflation, and Jobs

• Says addressing corruption is a prerequisite to solving poverty and unemployment in the country.
• Believes strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprises can help provide more jobs to Filipinos.
• Calls for the proper implementation of the OFW Handbook.

On Fighting Graft and Corruption

• Vows to fight graft and corruption, calling it the "cancer of this country" and the root cause of its economic problems.

On the West Philippine Sea

• Condemns China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea and maintains that the Philippines “will not stand down to China’s bullying.”
• Urges Filipinos to work together in protecting and maintaining the security of the country.

On The Drug War

• Said during his 2022 presidential campaign that there were extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s drug war and that those responsible must be held accountable.
• Vowed to fight drugs “the right way” if elected president.

On Disaster Preparedness

• Has called for a 50-year disaster resiliency master plan and suggested the creation of a “super-agency” to manage the country’s disaster response and resilience as well as the government’s climate change policies.

Government Experience / Field of Expertise

• Senator (2016 - 2022)
  
  
  • Filed bills to revive the death penalty for kidnapping, rape with homicide, manufacturing, and trafficking illegal drugs, but later softened his stance, saying the judicial system must be fixed first.
  • Authored and co-authored bills that became laws, including:
    • RA 11163 (National Bible Day)
    • RA 11227 (OFW Handbook)
    • RA 11223 (Universal Health Care Act)
• Representative - Sarangani Province, lone district (2010 - 2016)
  
  

Issues and Controversies

• Legal Battle in the U.S.
  
  
  • Endured a three-year legal battle in the United States for alleged breach of contract with Paradise Sports Management, which he won when the California Superior Court ruled in his favor in 2024, declaring the contract “void due to illegality.”
• Tax Evasion Case
  
  
  • Faced a tax evasion case in 2013 for allegedly failing to pay around ₱3.30 billion in tax deficiencies, including penalties, on his fight earnings in the U.S. in 2008 and 2009.
  • Case was junked by the Court of Tax Appeals in 2022, ruling that the BIR’s tax assessment was void due to lack of sufficient factual basis and violated Pacquiao’s right to due process.
• Attendance Issues
  
  
  • Had the third-lowest attendance among senators from July 2018 to June 2019.
  • Was also among the top absentees during his term as a congressman.
• Controversial LGBTQ+ Remarks
  
  
  • In 2016, he described members of the LGBTQ+ community as "worse than animals," for which he was heavily criticized.
  • Later backtracked on this stance while campaigning for president in 2022.
• Clash with Duterte & PDP-Laban Split
  
  
  • Had a "word war" with former President Rodrigo Duterte over issues of corruption, the West Philippine Sea, and his billion-peso tax case.
  • This led to the breakup of PDP-Laban into two factions, prompting Pacquiao to run under Abag PROMDI in the 2022 presidential election.

Family Members in Government

Jinkee Pacquiao (Wife)

• Vice Governor - Sarangani Province (2013 - 2016)
• Second nominee of Maharlikang Pilipino sa Bagong Lipunan partylist for the 2025 elections.

Rogelio Pacquiao (Brother)

• Governor - Sarangani Province (2022-2025)
• Representative - Sarangani Province, lone district (2016-2022)

Alberto "Bobby" Pacquiao (Brother)

• President, Liga ng Barangay, General Santos City (2023-present)
• Chairman - Barangay Labangal, General Santos City (2023-present)
• Representative - OFW Family Party-list (2019 - 2022)
• Councilor - General Santos City (2016 - 2019)

Bonifacio Pacquiao (Cousin)

• Councilor - Alabel, Sarangani (2019-present)

Lorelie Pacquiao (Sister-in-law)

• Mayor - General Santos City (2022 - present)
• Councilor - General Santos City (2019 - 2022)

Zyrex Pacquiao (Cousin)

• Mayor - Maasim, Sarangani (2019 - present)

Mark Joseph Pacquiao (Cousin)

• Provincial Board Member - Sarangani Province (2024-present)

Russell Jamora (Brother-in-law)

• Provincial Board Member - Sarangani Province (2019 - present)