Binay starts courting Pacquiao to run for senator in UNA slate

Vice President Jejomar Binay (Facebook photo)

MANILA – Vice President Jejomar Binay announced on Wednesday that he is now urging Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao to run for senator under his party, the United Nationalist Alliance, in the coming 2016 elections.

“I hope we can all help in convincing Representative Pacquiao—because of his experience, his being poor, and the help he extended to the poor will continue,” Binay told reporters.

The Vice president, who has been in General Santos City since Sunday, told reporters that he is hoping that Pacquiao will run for senator when asked by reporters if the boxing champ will run as his vice-presidential running mate.

“We hope he will be a candidate for senator,” he said.

When asked whether he sees Pacquaio as a potential running mate, Binay only said:

“That is what is being asked of me in Luzon. You can see that this person is very helpful and has shown he knows how to govern and more importantly, he is pro-God and procountry.”

On earlier reports, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said that Pacquiao may not qualify to run for vice-president in the coming elections because of his age.

Pacquiao will turn 37 in 2016, three years short of the required age under the constitution.