Champ Pacquiao and his 2010 plan

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

FILIPINO boxing icon Manny Pacquiao proved anew his magnificent skills as a warrior inside the ring by scoring a sensational second round knockout over British hope Ricky Hatton to wrest the International Boxing Organization junior welterweight tiara last May 3. That’s his sixth world diadem in different classes since he turned pro on January 22, 1995.

No need to say here again what we saw, heard and read about how the Filipino boxing hero humiliated the ‘royal blood’ pugilist in just less than six minutes that shocked and stunned the boxing aficionados of the world. What’s worth repeating is how Pacquiao’s exceptional victory made us proud again and clearly sent the message to the world that Filipinos, despite being a developing country, deserve the respect as far as today’s prizefighting is concerned.

I always follow the battles of Pacquiao especially if a world title is at stake. To be honest, in his 54 brawls, I bet against him three times and I lost. The first was his initial encounter with ‘hall of fame’ candidate Marco Antonio Barrera. The second one was the Pacquiao-Marquez II and the third was his encounter against the legend de la Hoya. A case of beer per fight so three cases all in all, just friendly bets with friends and neighbors. Of course, I also won bets in many of his fights, especially when his opponent was not a Chicano and the latest was one such fight.

And while much have been written about Pacquiao’s incomparable capability in boxing, nothing about his faith in God as a devout Catholic. The macho fellow born in Bukidnon, a very religious person, always asks for the blessings of the Almighty each time and anywhere he goes.

Note that even during the weigh-in on May 2 for his brawl with Hatton, he wore a crucifix, raised his head up, murmured a prayer and made the sign of the cross.

Inside the ring, he never forgets to kneel and pray before the fight, always makes the sign of the cross in almost every round and kneels again after the fight, win or lose.

He has a very strong faith in God and it’s easy to figure out where his inner strength comes from. “Everything comes from God,” he said. “I owe everything to God. He gives me strength. With God at your side, anything is possible. You can do things you thought you could only dream about.”

I believe this could be the reason why the guy is so lucky in his profession, although the same could not be said in politics. He was knocked out by a woman named Darlene Antonino-Custodio in the 2007 election for a congressional seat. That defeat, many say, is a message from God to him that he should not enter the dirty world of politics anymore.

But after that May 3 fight, reports are rife that Pacman is ready to get involved again in politics, moving his residency to Saranggani for another try in another congressional seat in the 2010 polls.

Well, his objective to serve his new constituents is great, laudable and praiseworthy. But his entry into politics in the prime of his career is not commendable at all. He should wait first until his might fades away for good, when he turns 35 or 40, when he retires, when his golden hands, fists and muscles start to crack.

But this is a free country. Whatever he wishes, if it is in accordance with the law, then that is his constitutional right to join politics. Who knows, he could be even the president of this republic, as former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said after the Hatton fight.

If his plan pushes through and he is elected representative of Saranggani, he will be the first ever professional boxer in the world to become a national lawmaker.

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