Philippines’ boxing star Manny Pacquiao gestures after winning a championship. File photo

A faction of the Philippines' ruling political party on Sunday nominated boxing star Manny Pacquiao as the party's presidential candidate for the 2022 election, his close ally Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said.

Senator Manny Pacquiao accepted the nomination of his party PDP-Laban, joining a hotly contested race to succeed his erstwhile ally President Rodrigo Duterte.

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Pacquiao, currently a senator, was nominated by his party allies during the group's national assembly, days after a rival faction nominated President Rodrigo Duterte as its choice for vice president and his long-time aide, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, as the party's presidential candidate.

President Rodrigo Duterte arrives for a meeting in Manila. File photo

Nicknamed "PacMan", he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He has been serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2016, and previously served as party president of the ruling party PDP–Laban (2020–2021), and representative of Sarangani (2010–2016).

Pacquiao is the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing and has won twelve major world titles. He was the first boxer to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes, the first boxer to win major world titles in four of the eight "glamour divisions": flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight, and is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s).