A leopard can’t change its spots

By Alex P. Vidal

“It is not the quantity but the quality of knowledge which determines the mind’s dignity.”—William Ellery Channing

THOSE who think, believe, and expect Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao to master the King’s English and argue like Cicero just because he became a presidential candidate may be nuts.

Not all presidential candidates are intelligent; not all intelligent are presidential candidates.

And those who ridiculed him on social media for his disastrous performance in the recent Comelec 2^nd PiliPinas Presidential Debates 2022 may be jokers.

Shaming Pacquiao on TikTok and other platforms for “shaming himself” in the debate won’t change anything as far as his identity as a struggling speaker and his chances of winning are concerned.

Pacquiao continued to lag behind in surveys whether his critics have succeeded in humiliating him after the second Comelec debate.

Since when did it occur to everyone that the 42-year-old former 8-time world boxing champion was a good speaker and debater?

Why express shock and awe when the ex-pugilist failed to satisfactorily answer the question of moderator Ces Drilon during the “live” debate on April 3?

Did some of us really expect Pacquiao to speak and play with words like JFK or Benjamin?

Without underestimating Pacquiao, we all know his background; we are aware his primary skills are in the square jungle, not in the rostrum; so why bother whether he can answer the debate question impressively?

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Yes, it’s his fault when he once dared fellow presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to a one-on-one debate when the latter snubbed several past presidential debates.

But it was ostensibly more of a case of hubris for the retired boxer; a grandstanding in an effort to look big even if he is diminutive in the arena of the smart alecks.

The Tagalogs call it “pakitang gilas” or “pang gulat.”

When you’re a midget wanting to be someone not your height, you don’t pick a fight with a dwarf.

The truth is pitting Pacquiao in a one-on-one debate with the more intelligent Marcos Jr. is like asking Will Smith to slap Hulk Hogan, or coercing Harry Roque to engage Vice Ganda in dirty dancing.

Pacquiao became an international superstar for disfiguring the faces of tough Mexicans as a prizefighter.

He was never in the class of seasoned debaters and great thinkers even before the presidential election.

Just like a leopard that can’t change its spots, Pacquiao can’t change his talent and reputation overnight from a ring monster to a university lecturer and extemporaneous guru only because he was “allowed” to run for the highest position in the land.

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If radioman Salvador “Jun” Capulot did not file his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for Iloilo City mayor in the May 9 election, reelectionist Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Trenas would have joined the eight other mayoral candidates in Iloilo province with no opponents.

An unchallenged mayoral candidate during the election is normally being looked up to at the national level and respected by his peers in the League of Cities in the Philippines (LCP).

But Capulot spoiled the party. Having an official rival in the election means a mayoral candidate will have to shell out campaign funds and “take good care” of village officials.

We can’t blame the likes of Trenas to be pissed off if the likes of Capulot surface during the elections.

Everyone, including those with no sufficient personal and campaign funds, has a chance to run in a free election. This is the beauty of democracy.

Even if their chances of winning are nil, the likes of Capulot all over the country can give the incumbents—or the political Goliaths—plenty of trouble mentally, emotionally and financially.

The eight candidates in the Iloilo mayoral race considered as “sure winners” are: Jett Roxas of Ajuy, Kenneth Alfeche of Alimodian, Suzette Mamon of Badiangan, Nielo Tupas of Barotac Viejo, Mark Palabrica of Bingawan, Janette Colada of Guimbal, Liecel Seville of New Lucena, and Trixie Fernandez of San Enrique.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)