Known for his rags-to-riches rise from street kid to world champion boxer, Manny Pacquiao has made fighting drugs, corruption, and poverty key themes of his presidential campaign. (AFP)Philippines presidential hopeful Manny Pacquiao says he was "naive" and ignorant of the law when he took crystal meth in his youth, but argues offenders today know drugs are illegal and should be punished. Pacquiao, a retired world champion boxer, has been a high-profile backer of President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs that has killed thousands of people. I don't know the law," said Pacquiao, 42, who currently holds a seat in the Senate and previously served two terms in Congress. While victory for Pacquiao is not unrealistic in a country famed for its celebrity-obsessed politics, he faces a tough fight.

Source: The Standard November 23, 2021 08:17 UTC