Standing at just 5-foot-5, Manny Pacquiao became a legend in the ring and one of the world’s most recognizable athletes despite his size. The Filipino star had 39 wins by knockout before a four-year retirement, which started in 2021, and 62 wins overall.
Outside of boxing, Pacquiao has never shied away from trying his hand at other activities. He dabbled in professional basketball in the Philippines even as his boxing career continued, and he’s even made TV and movie appearances over the years.
Pacquiao’s most notable venture outside of the ring, however, was his foray into politics, which included multiple successful campaigns and even a run for president.
Here’s a complete look at Pacquiao’s timeline of politics, from his first run in 2007 to his presidential run in 2022.
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Why did Manny Pacquiao enter politics?
Pacquiao revealed in 2007 that he launched his first campaign because he was convinced by local officials of his hometown, General Santos. The city was looking for Pacquiao to be “their bridge to the national government,” the boxer said.
Of course, Pacquiao’s massive platform and popularity didn’t hurt, either. He had a professional record of 43-3-2 when he announced his first run for office and had blossomed into an international star, representing the Philippines on the world stage.
Pacquiao was just 28 at the time he entered politics. When he launched his first campaign, he said he was aiming to promote jobs and education in addition to healthcare improvements.
“There are too many poor people,” Pacquiao said at the time. “They can rest assured that I will be there for them.”
Meanwhile, Pacquiao made it clear he wouldn’t put his boxing career on hold as he ran for office. He participated in and won two fights in 2007 after entering politics, and he would continue to fight after he finally was elected to public office after the turn of the decade.
Pacquiao is considered a social conservative with a religious background, backing controversial former president Rodrigo Duterte on a handful of issues, including the death penalty.
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Manny Pacquiao in politics timeline
Pacquiao’s entry into politics began in 2007.
2007: Unsuccessfully ran for House of Representatives
Pacquiao announced a campaign for a seat in the Philippine House of Representatives in early 2007, challenging Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio in the province of South Cotabato as a member of the Liberal Party. He was defeated convincingly, picking up only 35.5 percent of the vote to Antonino-Custodio’s 65.5.
2010: Elected to House of Representatives
Undeterred by his defeat in 2007, Pacquiao reset and announced a run for a seat in the province of Sarangani. He defeated opponent Roy Chiongbian by an even wider margin than his 2007 loss, taking 66.35 percent of the vote. Pacquiao founded the People’s Champ Party ahead of his run and ran as a member.
2013: Re-elected to House of Representatives
By 2013, Pacquiao emerged as a bit of a political force. He was so well-liked in Sarangani that he ran unopposed in the 2013 election, winning without any stress, and his wife was also elected vice-governor of the province.
Pacquiao served another three-year term in the House of Representatives before taking aim at higher office.
2016: Elected as Senator
While Pacquiao regularly missed congressional sessions due to his boxing career and other commitments, he decided to aim for higher office in 2016 with a campaign for a senate seat under the United Nationalist Alliance. At the same time, he hinted at retiring from boxing to be a full-time politician.
Running among several dozens of candidates for one of 12 senate seats, Pacquiao finished seventh with more than 16 million votes. He and 11 others assumed their senate seats on June 30, 2016, joining the 12 elected in the 2013 election.
The senate is often seen as a launching pad for presidential campaigns in the Philippines, and Pacquiao’s victory fueled speculation he could make a run at the presidency.
Sept. 19, 2021: Accepted nomination to run for President
After years of speculation and nearly a full term in the senate, Pacquiao decided to make a presidential run ahead of the 2022 election. He launched his campaign on Sept. 19, 2021 when he was nominated by a faction of Philippines’ PDP-Laban party.
PDP-Laban was also the party of incumbent president Rodrigo Duterte at the time, though the party had split into two factions and Pacquiao found himself on the side not as closely affiliated with Duterte.
Pacquiao chose former Manila mayor Lito Atienza as his running mate.
After launching his campaign, Pacquiao focused on the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, stating, “My priority is to resolve the pandemic so we can drive the economy to recovery.”
Sept. 29, 2021: Retired from boxing to focus on Presidential campaign
With a presidential run already underway, Pacquiao retired from boxing at age 42 on Sept. 29, 2021.
“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today I am announcing my retirement,” Pacquiao said in a video posted on Facebook. “I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao,” he continued.
Pacquiao retired with a 62-8-2 record, suffering a loss to Yordenis Ugas in his final fight before his presidential run, though he came out of retirement in 2025 with an announcement that he would fight Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.
May, 2022: Lost Presidential election
With 10 candidates on the ballot, Pacquiao failed to gain much traction during his presidential campaign. He finished third out of 10, but it was a distant third — at 6.81 percent of the vote, Pacquiao lagged far behind winner Bongbong Marcos and runner-up Leni Robredo. Marcos won with 58.8 percent of the vote, while Robredo, who had been the incumbent vice president, finished a distant second with 27.9 percent.
June 30, 2022: Senate term ended
Less than two months after his loss in the presidential election, Pacquiao’s time in public office came to an end. His six-year term as a senator expired, and he did not run for re-election because he was pursuing the presidency.
May, 2025: Failed in attempted Senate comeback
Three years after his term ended, Pacquiao made another senate run in 2025 under the Federal Party of the Philippines. This time, however, he was not as successful. Pacquiao finished 18th in a race for 12 seats, receiving just under 10.4 million votes, or 18.13 percent. The lowest vote total among the elected senators was 13.3 million, so Pacquiao fell well short by a margin of nearly three million.
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Is Manny Pacquiao still in politics?
Pacquiao has been out of office since his senate term ended in June 2022, though he briefly found himself back in the political arena when he unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2025.
After pausing his boxing retirement to fight Barrios, Pacquiao indicated he is not thinking about a political career for the time being.
“Right now, the book of politics is closed,” Pacquiao said after his failed senate bid. “I was able to rest my body for four years. I’ve been boxing non-stop since the age of 12. I still feel the excitement and dedication like I did before.”
Those comments hint that his fight with Barrios might not just be a one-off event, as Pacquiao claims his body is refreshed and his mind is in a better place than it was in 2021 as it relates to boxing. The question, of course, is what Pacquiao will do when his boxing career comes to an end again — and whether it will involve another foray into the world of politics in the Philippines.
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