Some Filipinos are calling out online users who are hating on Michael Pacquiao, the boxer-senator’s second son, after he went viral for the release of his new single.
The 18-year-old up-and-coming rapper gained traction after he appeared on Wish 107.5 Bus last week and gave a live performance of his new song “Hate” which talks about dealing with people who bring him down as he chases his dreams.
His performance has earned more than six million views on Wish Bus’ YouTube channel since it was uploaded on August 5.
The track is part of Pacquiao’s 11-track debut album “Dreams” which was released on the music streaming platform Spotify last month.
Pacquiao reportedly credited his friend who he shares the first name with, Michael Bars, on the song.
He also collaborated with Bars in the latter’s song “Pac-Man” that was inspired by none other than the boxing champion himself, Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
The buzz on ‘Young Manny’
Meanwhile, the Younger Pacquiao’s new song caught the attention of Filipinos who lauded him for his rapping skills that some said could make him collaborate with big names like Eminem, Drake and Jay Z.
“After seeing Michael Pacquiao on Wish Bus, I knew it would blow up! That was definitely mainstream right there! I can’t wait for this guy to do collabs with the biggest names like Eminem, Drake, Jay z. Pinoy pride!” wrote a Twitter user.
“I thought Michael Pacquiao would be like just some of these Pinoy mumble rappers who can’t even rhyme, pero hindi. That artist’s making good music. Flow, beat, lyrics,” another online user commented.
Some Filipinos, however, were not too keen on supporting Michael as they recall the older Pacquiao and some of his controversial remarks and stances on political issues.
“Michael Pacquiao got the hate because his father is homophobic and an enabler, hangga’t tahimik siya sa mga usaping pulitika, we can call him out,” a critic wrote.
“Michael Pacquiao raps about smoking lean (what does this even mean) and the dope on his song Icy Icy. His father a senator (boxer, actor, singer, basketball player, former drug addict, bigot) supports the tyranny and drug war of this administration. Cool, cool, cool,” another online user said.
A Filipino mentioned that he “cannot unsee” the younger Pacquiao’s resemblance to his supposed “homophobic father.”
Other online users called out the criticisms and pointed out that the younger Pacquiao is not his own father.
“Can’t believe people are hating on Michael Pacquiao for the views of his father. None of you really learned s*it noh? Children are not their parents, nor should we be accountable for their s*it,” a Twitter user wrote with crying emojis.
Another Filipino said that he “didn’t like” the song as well but added that “blaming a child for their parent’s action is just not fair.”
“We gays should be the good example, we should show them love even though they hate us ’cause that’s what we are. Even Manny Pacquiao hates us, we should not hate back, we should fight back by showing him we are not what he thought us to be. That will silence him,” he tweeted.
Another Twitter user reminded the public that issues affiliated with Michael’s father are not his own “burden to carry.”
“Stop spreading hate towards Michael because he didn’t do anything wrong,” she said.
The elder Pacquiao
Manny, the younger Pacquiao’s father, previously made headlines for his controversial stances on issues such as same-sex marriage and the revival of the death penalty in the justice system.
In November 2018, the senator attended an Oxford University forum and claimed that there were no extrajudicial killings under President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody anti-illegal drugs campaign despite reports saying otherwise.
The senator, who is a devout Christian, has also repeatedly pushed for the reinstatement of capital punishment using the Holy Bible.
The older Pacquiao has likewise been criticized for his homophobic slurs that have resulted in him losing a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike.
Critics have also accused the senator of prioritizing movie appearances despite his position as an elected public official who is supposed to focus on serving the people.
Manny has recorded a poor attendance record at the Congress in recent years as a lawmaker.