Businessmen urged: Don’t meddle in politics

MANILA, Philippines — Ramon Ang, president and CEO of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp., is urging his fellow tycoons and the rest of the business community not to meddle in politics particularly in the May 2022 elections.

Dousing cold water on rumors that he was endorsing boxing champion and Sen. Manny Pacquiao as president or anyone in next year’s polls, Ang said he was not endorsing any candidate.

He said all those planning to run are his friends and therefore it would not be fair to any of them if he endorses a candidate.

“Puro kaibigan ko ang mga tumatakbo. Kapag in-endorse ko ang isa, kalaban ko na ang iba (All of them are my friends. If I endorse one, the others become my enemies),” Ang said.

Instead, he said, he would continue to support the country in whatever way he can, urging his fellow tycoons to do the same.

“Whatever we can do for the country, we will support whoever becomes president. We will always support our country,” Ang said in Filipino.

He said there would be no level playing field if businessmen like him support candidates.

“That is what we can do as businessmen. We should not meddle in politics otherwise there won’t be a level playing field,” Ang said.

He had earlier denied having plans to run for president in the upcoming national elections.

SMC has been among the most active private sector partners of the government against COVID-19.

Last year, when the pandemic struck the country, SMC mounted one of the largest pandemic responses from the private sector, with total response efforts reaching P13 billion.

In March or soon after the lockdown was imposed, SMC mounted the largest food relief effort in the company’s, and perhaps the country’s history – with food donations reaching well over half a billion pesos.

Apart from donating its own food products—fresh meats and poultry, canned goods, dairy and baked goods, coffee, biscuits—as well as rice, the company also donated flour to LGUs in and around Metro Manila for local bakers to produce free or discounted bread.

Also last year, SMC provided free hot meals to all locally stranded individuals at the Manila North Harbor and the Rizal Coliseum.

SMC has long been identified with efforts at addressing the issue of hunger. Under its flagship corporate social responsibility program, called the SMC Better World Communities initiative, it converted an old warehouse in Tondo into a learning center that also functions as a feeding center and food bank for Manila’s poorest communities.