Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. Monday said he believes People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao could help resolve the longstanding feud between the government and the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Mindanao.

Pimentel said the government should use Pacquiao to advance the peace process in Mindanao, stressing that the world boxing champion could facilitate the peace talks because he is well-loved by both Muslims and Christians alike in the region.

Here - called that it was President Arroyo herself who named Pacquiao as an ambassador for peace and unity to Mindanao.

“Ang suggestion ko, pakinabangan na nila si Manny Pacquiao because maalala ninyo, nung unang manalo si Manny at hinanap kung ano possible role nya sa gobyerno, isa ako sa nag-suggest na gamitin siya na peacemaker, negotiator for peace in Mindanao, mahal siya ng mga Moro at Kristiyano dun,” Pimentel said.

“Sa tingin ko yun ang unang dapat gawin. Subukin muna si Pacquiao, huwag munang all-out offensive sapagka’t lalong lalaki ang gulo,” he added.

As peace negotiator, Pimentel said he expects Pacquiao to “go there and talk to the leaders of the rebels” to call for a ceasefire and a solution to end the insurgency.

He also said Pacquiao is the only one capable “as of now” who could smoothen the progress of government’s peace talks with the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF.

“For immediate effect, palagay ko siya lang, sapagka’t ang gobyerno pag magpapasok ng iba, kailangan may all inclusive proposal na matatanggap kaagad,” Pimentel said.

Sen. Francis Escudero, for his part. said he supports the proposal to call on Pacquiao’s help to settle the insurgency in the South.

But Escudero said his challenge is for the MILF leadership to denounce the rouge elements within their ranks to prove its sincerity in the ongoing peace negotiations with the government.

“Hindi dapat kasama ang mga rouge elements ng MILF maliban na lamang kung itatatwa na lamang ng MILF ang mga grupong ito. Marahil puwede pang buksan ang pakikipagsuap sa kanila,” Escudero said in an interview, adding “pero habang nananatili silang bahagi ng MILF at hindi pa sila tinatatatwa ng liderato ng MILF, marapat at dapat hindi muna makipag-usap ang pamahalaan.”

But Sen. Rodolfo Biazon expressed his doubt on the capability of Pacquiao to negotiate with the MILF. “Can he surpass the ability of the government’s peace negotiators? I’m not questioning the wisdom of it but the capability of Manny to negotiate,” Biazon said.

Biazon said it would be better for the government to ask member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference in solving the Mindanao problem.