Pacquiao says meeting with Duterte was ‘unexpected’

Senator and presidential aspirant Manny Pacquiao revealed on Friday that the meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang Palace last Tuesday night was something he did not expect.

Pacquiao said the meeting was arranged by his close friend because Duterte wanted to talk to him.

“Sinabi sa akin na gusto raw akong kausapin ni presidente makipagmeeting sa akin and then sino ba naman ako para tumanggi diba. So nagbigay respeto lang ako,” he said in an interview with the reporters.

(I was told that the president wanted to talk to me and have a meeting with me and who am I to refuse? So I just showed respect.)

“And then pumunta ako doon, nagulat din si presidente kasi hindi niya alam na may meeting kami so may mga tao na nag-arrange na hindi namin pareho alam,” he added.

(And when I went there, the president was also surprised because he didn't know we would have a meeting, so there were people who arranged it and we both did not know.)

He said they did not talk about politics, only about Mindanao development.

Asked if he felt deceived by the unexpected development, he said, "Hindi naman, pero lesson to learn na kailangan siguruhin sa susunod."

(Not really, but the lesson to learn is to make sure about things next time.)

"Kaya naglabas ako ng statement na tuloy ang laban natin, hindi ito para sa sarili ko kundi para sa bayan," he added.

(That's why we issued a statement that we will continue the fight, this is not for myself but for the country.)

Asked about his relationship with Duterte after the meeting, Pacquiao said “Parang ano ‘yan sa boxing parang magkalaban kayo, pero pagdating sa implementasyon hindi tayo makipag compromise.”

Simple process in setting up business

During the forum hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands, Pacquiao vowed to fight corruption in government and make the process simpler and faster in putting up businesses in the country.

“Ang problema dito kahit maliit o malaking business, nasubukan ko na yan eh. Nagput-up ako ng maliit na business. Inabot ako ng ilang buwan bago natapos yung mga papeles. Ang dami kong pinagdaanan,” he said.

(The problem here affects small or big business. I put up a small business. It took me a few months before the paperwork was finished.)

“Tapos siyempre hindi maiiwasan para mapabilis, may under the table. Yun yung isa sa problema ng ano natin. Padaliin natin, 'yan ang isa sa sugpuin natin yung maraming proseso ng mga papeles para makapag-start ng, put up ng business,” he added.

(Then of course to speed up the transactions, there is under the table. That is one of the problems of what we have. Let us make the process easier to put up a business.)

Pacquiao recalled a personal experience of paying more than what was reflected in the receipt.

“Nasubukan ko na…bigyan kita ng idea ang binayaran ko, kasalanan ko rin yun, ang binayaran ko P700,000, pero ang may resibo P250 lang,” he admitted.

(I already tried that… to give you an idea of what I paid, it's also my fault, I paid P700,000, but the receipt reflected only P250.)

Pacquiao filed his certificate of candidacy for president on October 1, with Buhay party-list Representative Lito Atienza as his running mate.

He said he will run under the PROMDI (Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative) party and not PDP-Laban due to the ongoing infighting between his faction and the one led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA News