STATEMENT ON SENATOR EMMANUEL “MANNY” PACQUIAO’S VISIT TO THE OXFORD UNION
We, students of Filipino ancestry and members of the Oxford Philippines Society (the “Society”), wish to express these statements of concerns regarding Manny Pacquiao’s visit to the Oxford Union.
We recognize that the decision to invite Mr. Pacquiao to the Oxford Union may have been prompted by his exemplary achievements in the world of boxing. Indeed, his legendary rise in the boxing world despite having been born into an impoverished family, has helped raise the profile of the Philippines internationally and resonates very well with millions of Filipinos, which probably is the reason why he was eventually catapulted to his position as a Senator in the Republic of the Philippines.
The Society feels however that it would be remiss in its duties if Mr. Pacquiao’s visit to the Oxford Union is not properly put in its context. After all, his invitation into the Oxford Union, which has invited extensive media attention in the Philippines, could appear like a validation of his personal advocacies as a Senator, aside from his career in boxing.
The Society believes that Mr. Pacquiao’s invitation to the Oxford Union should not be viewed as a validation, directly or indirectly, of Mr. Pacquiao’s performance as a legislator in Philippine Congress. The views that Mr. Pacquiao has taken on some key issues undermines fundamental human rights, the most disconcerting of which are:
1. Mr. Pacquiao has commented that people who engage in homosexual relations are “mas masahol pa sa hayop” (worse than animals). This comment sparked outrage worldwide, which is not surprising given that many people are making efforts to tackle the issue of homophobia in sports. While he has apologised for his statement as being merely reflective of his personal religious views, he has maintained his stance against same-sex marriage.
2. More recently, with his role as Senator, Mr. Pacquiao has been pushing for the reimposition of capital punishment, i.e., the death penalty, with a specific focus on drug-related offenses in obvious support of Philippine President Duterte’s “war on drugs”. (Note: A death penalty bill for “heinous crimes” has already passed in the Lower House of Congress, and conveniently excludes crimes such as plunder, treason, and rape.) These are all happening in spite of the fact that the Philippines ratified a UN protocol that forbids executions and the abolishment of the death penalty.
3. Early in his political career, Mr. Pacquiao voted against early versions of a bill that is now the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act (R.H. Law), citing the usual weak religious arguments against the promotion of artificial contraception. The R.H. Law supports sex education and gives the poor better access to contraception so they can make an informed choice regarding their sexual health, which are vital for a country like the Philippines where teenage pregnancy is a problem (in 2013, one in ten Filipinas between the ages of 15-19 were already mothers or pregnant with their first child) and there is a growing prevalence of HIV.
Mr. Pacquiao probably is only capable of directly hurting other human beings by jabbing at them in boxing matches. But as a well-known athlete with the world as his stage, the reach and influence of his words, if left unchecked, might harm and knockout the incremental progress we are making to ensure a fair, equal, and just world.
5 November 2018
[email protected]
https://oxfordphilippinessociety.weebly.com/
We, students of Filipino ancestry and members of the Oxford Philippines Society (the “Society”), wish to express these statements of concerns regarding Manny Pacquiao’s visit to the Oxford Union.
We recognize that the decision to invite Mr. Pacquiao to the Oxford Union may have been prompted by his exemplary achievements in the world of boxing. Indeed, his legendary rise in the boxing world despite having been born into an impoverished family, has helped raise the profile of the Philippines internationally and resonates very well with millions of Filipinos, which probably is the reason why he was eventually catapulted to his position as a Senator in the Republic of the Philippines.
The Society feels however that it would be remiss in its duties if Mr. Pacquiao’s visit to the Oxford Union is not properly put in its context. After all, his invitation into the Oxford Union, which has invited extensive media attention in the Philippines, could appear like a validation of his personal advocacies as a Senator, aside from his career in boxing.
The Society believes that Mr. Pacquiao’s invitation to the Oxford Union should not be viewed as a validation, directly or indirectly, of Mr. Pacquiao’s performance as a legislator in Philippine Congress. The views that Mr. Pacquiao has taken on some key issues undermines fundamental human rights, the most disconcerting of which are:
1. Mr. Pacquiao has commented that people who engage in homosexual relations are “mas masahol pa sa hayop” (worse than animals). This comment sparked outrage worldwide, which is not surprising given that many people are making efforts to tackle the issue of homophobia in sports. While he has apologised for his statement as being merely reflective of his personal religious views, he has maintained his stance against same-sex marriage.
2. More recently, with his role as Senator, Mr. Pacquiao has been pushing for the reimposition of capital punishment, i.e., the death penalty, with a specific focus on drug-related offenses in obvious support of Philippine President Duterte’s “war on drugs”. (Note: A death penalty bill for “heinous crimes” has already passed in the Lower House of Congress, and conveniently excludes crimes such as plunder, treason, and rape.) These are all happening in spite of the fact that the Philippines ratified a UN protocol that forbids executions and the abolishment of the death penalty.
3. Early in his political career, Mr. Pacquiao voted against early versions of a bill that is now the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act (R.H. Law), citing the usual weak religious arguments against the promotion of artificial contraception. The R.H. Law supports sex education and gives the poor better access to contraception so they can make an informed choice regarding their sexual health, which are vital for a country like the Philippines where teenage pregnancy is a problem (in 2013, one in ten Filipinas between the ages of 15-19 were already mothers or pregnant with their first child) and there is a growing prevalence of HIV.
Mr. Pacquiao probably is only capable of directly hurting other human beings by jabbing at them in boxing matches. But as a well-known athlete with the world as his stage, the reach and influence of his words, if left unchecked, might harm and knockout the incremental progress we are making to ensure a fair, equal, and just world.
5 November 2018
[email protected]
https://oxfordphilippinessociety.weebly.com/