Pacman’s bill is unfair

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

BUSY as ever being one of our country’s lawmakers and a world-famous professional boxer, Saranggani Rep. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has filed a bill to create a government entity that will be called the Philippine Boxing Commission (PBC). Under House Bill 6409, the PBC’s main aim is to provide and implement all basic welfare incentives and benefits only for professional boxers. The benefits include a comprehensive health care coverage and that all professional boxers will be enrolled in PhilHealth to enable them to receive and avail of an adequate package of personal health services and the cost of premium and monthly contributions shall be shouldered by PBC. The bill also provides a lifetime retirement pension of P15,000 monthly for professional boxers who won in any world title duly recognized by international boxing organizations, and a lump sum death benefit in the amount of P50,000 purposely to cover funeral services and other expenditures. It’s very clear that Pacman’s bill is singling out ONLY the professional boxers.

To me that’s very unfair. Why? Because I believe you, my fellow dear sports aficionados, and I know that it’s not only the professional boxers who bag a world title and bring international honor to this country. Yes, I believe our Filipino Olympians who won even just silver and bronze medals and our world champions in other sporting events also deserve to receive benefits from the government and not only those professional world boxing champions. It’s surprising to know that the humble lawmaker from Saranggani province who’s known to be a philanthropist and generous fellow failed to include our other former national athletes who also gave laurels to the land of Juan dela Cruz. Pacman’s bill is definitely biased and unjust.

Olympic records show that while we failed to win a medal in our first Olympic stint in 1924, our Teofilo Yldefonso finally won a bronze medal in swimming by in the Amsterdam Games four years later. We were the first country in Southeast Asia to win a medal in the Olympic Games. Yldefonso duplicated that feat in the 1932 Los Angeles Games together with boxer Jose Villanueva and Simeon Toribio in athletics, all in bronze medal victories. We also did not come home empty handed from the 1936 Berlin Games with Fil-Am swimmer Miguel White winning a bronze.

Then in the Tokyo Games in I964, Anthony Villanueva, a friend of mine, won the first silver medal. From that time on, our boxing contingents had been the only ones that brought honors for the Philippines in the Olympic Games. Leopoldo Serrantes won bronze in 1988 Seoul Games, Roel Velasco (bronze) in 1992 Barcelona, and the last was Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco in1996 Atlanta. And how about those world champions in other fields of sports like six-time world shooting champion Jethro Dionisio and the latest was the 2011Philippine Dragon Boat team that won five gold medals in the World Dragon Boat championships last year. I believe they also deserve to receive benefits like our professional boxers, right? Come on Mr. Pacman, rethink your proposal. You’re an honorable, God-fearing gentleman and gradually becoming more astute in lawmaking but why are depriving our other Filipino achievers? Remember, these other athletes are your country mates and most of all your fellow athletes. Please be fair always.

Your House Bill 6409 is okay but not really very okay.

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My belated congratulations to Team Mangaldan of Mayor Herminio A.Romero for bagging the first runner-up plum in the Tour of Cebu team competition. Were it not for that second stage misfortune suffered by team skipper Arnel Quirimit, I believe Team Mangaldan would have won the championship and Quirimit would have earned individual honors. Well, that’s part of the game.

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It’s really very sad to know that the sports-minded and hard-working DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo met his untimely demise when our nation badly needs him. I still recall when 2nd district Congressman Leoplodo N. Bataoil unexpectedly called me up last May 1st during the Pista’y Dayat celebration in Lingayen, to inform me that Sec. Robredo was their guest and he was aware that Pangasinan is tops in Philippine cycling. Bataoil invited me to join them so the good secretary could meet me personally. But I had to beg off because of travel time constraint. And now he’s gone for good in this world, a big loss for our nation. I believe God will put him in the right path and safe place and give him an everlasting life in his second world. The country will surely miss him for being a good public servant of the nation.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Do you not know that those who run in race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 1 Corinthians 9: 24-25:

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