ALABEL - Philippine political heavyweights are courting boxing idol Manny Pacquiao to win his endorsement for the May 2010 presidential elections in an effort to cash in on his soaring popularity.

Pacquiao said here Sunday he would soon announce which candidate he is backing but denied reports he was already aligned with Senator Manuel Villar, one of the front-runners in the presidential race.

"I will announce later what is my (national) party and who is the presidential candidate I am aligning with," he told reporters in this southern Philippine town at a gathering of his "People's Champ Movement," a new local party Pacquiao is starting.

He admitted meeting with Villar in Manila on Friday but denied that he had already joined forces with his Nacionalista Party (NP). "I did not give any commitment," he said.

Manila dailies gave front page coverage to reports that Villar was offering to make Pacquiao the official NP candidate for congress in the southern province of Sarangani.

This is despite a longtime alliance between Pacquiao and President Gloria Arroyo who has endorsed another candidate, ex-defence chief Gilberto Teodoro, as her presidential bet.

In Manila, Arroyo spokesman Cerge Remonde downplayed the speculation, saying "that is between Manny Villar and Manny Pacquiao. We will not interfere in that and we will not complain if this (alliance) happens."

Villar, a billionaire property developer has been placed second in surveys of contenders for the presidential elections.

Pacquiao, whose boxing victories have made him a national hero, has already said he plans to run for the congress seat in Sarangani.

His popularity soared even further after he demolished Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto last week to become the only man in history to win seven titles in as many weight classes.

One of Pacquiao's political allies, Juan Domingo, said there was an offer by Arroyo's ruling Lakas (Strength) party for Pacquiao to join.

However Lakas has already endorsed a member of an established political clan as its candidate for the Sarangani seat, said Domingo. Despite his fame, Pacquiao lost in his congressional bid in 2007, also to an established politician.

The victory over Cotto however won him even more fame, with Arroyo conferring on him on Friday the ceremonial "Sikatuna Award"-- an honor normally reserved for foreign heads of state.

Meantime, a Malacañang official on Sunday advised Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao against joining the Nacionalista Party (NP) should he pushes through with his plan to seek a congressional seat in next year’s elections.

Presidential adviser on political affairs Gabriel Claudio said Pacquiao would only alienate many of his fans and supporters if he allies himself with a political group.

“He [Pacquiao] will not do justice to himself or to the Filipino people to be affiliated with a particular political party because he will alienate himself politically from others who do not belong to that party," he said.

No less than NP’s standard bearer, Sen. Manny Villar Jr., had offered the seven-division champion to join his political group, saying arrangements would be made to accommodate Pacquiao’s People’s Champ Movement (PCM) in a coalition with NP.

Claudio said it would be better and wiser if Pacquiao remains "above partisan." 

“If he must run for a congressional seat in the coming polls, it might be better for Manny to run under the party-list system where he can represent a broader national constituency," he said.

He also advised NP “to be more circumspect about its recruitment policies and think of what it might deprive the rest of the Filipino people."

Another Malacañang official, however, said they would respect whatever Pacquiao’s decision is.

“That is something that is between Manny Villar and Manny Pacquiao. Hindi kami makikialam diyan at hindi po namin mamasamain kung sakaling mangyari iyan (We will not influence his decision or hold it against him if he decides to join NP)," he said.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last Friday gave Pacquiao the Order of Siakatuna rank of Datu for winning his seventh world title last November 15 against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao was also previously named special envoy on peace and unity and tapped as the special Philippine flag carrier during the last Olympics.

Pacquiao is also known to be close to Environment Secretary Lito Atienza Jr. and deputy national security adviser Luis “Chavit" Singson, who are both with the Arroyo government. - GMANews.TV