Councilor Michael Pacquiao remained in General Santos City to aid residents reeling from this month’s powerful earthquake rather than travel to the United States for his older brother’s wedding, his girlfriend Joyce Tan Custodio said over the weekend.
Custodio shared the account in a June 14 Instagram post, explaining that Pacquiao opted to stay close to the disaster zone after the magnitude 7.8 quake battered sections of Mindanao days earlier. The city was among the hardest-hit areas when the tremor struck on June 8.
Writing alongside a photo of the couple, she framed his decision as a reflection of his character. “Missing an important family moment was not easy, but your commitment to serving others speaks volumes about the kind of leader and person you are,” she wrote.
She recounted how the disaster shaped his choice: “When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake [hit] Gensan, your thoughts immediately turned to the people who depended on you.”
Custodio also pushed back at detractors who have questioned how Pacquiao carries out his public duties. “Even when some people have negative things to say about the way you serve, I know your heart and the intentions behind everything you do,” she said, adding, “No matter what challenges come our way, I will always be here beside you and believing in you.”
The wedding Pacquiao missed was that of eldest sibling Jimuel and his longtime partner Carolina Pimentel, held in California on June 13 before family and close friends. The couple became parents to a daughter, Clara, in November 2025.
Pacquiao, the second son of boxing great and former senator Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee, has drawn public attention beyond his political work — including online chatter over his romance with Custodio, whom he has been linked to since late 2025, and earlier talk surrounding a cosmetic procedure on his nose.
The couple’s relationship has been a subject of social media discussion in part because of the perceived age gap between them.
