Revealing Pacquiao’s bigger battle

By Al S. Mendoza

 

THE first nagging question is:  What happened to Manny Pacquiao?

Why his sudden outburst against gays and lesbians?

What made him do it, calling same-sex partners making love as “worse than animals?”

Where did his position come from, when I never saw him as being judgmental from the day I met him?

He said he was merely quoting the Good Book a.k.a. Bible?

That the Bible disapproves of gays and lesbians making love to each other, making them sinful therefore and must be condemned?

But has Pacquiao not heard about Pope Francis’ reply when asked to comment on gays and lesbians being allegedly sinners in the eyes of God?

Said the Pope:  “Who am I to judge them?”

And Jesus Christ himself said to the mob wanting to stone Magdalene to death:  “The one who has no sin, cast the first stone.”

One by one, the mob walked away.

Was Pacquiao guilty as charged of the sin of judging gays and lesbians sinners?

By calling them “worse than animals” for their male-to-male, female-to-female sexual acts, was Pacquiao at fault?

Obviously yes.  Otherwise, he would not have immediately apologized.

But is that it?

I mean, case closed?

Seemingly, not yet.

Protests are in the offing, as gay-lesbian movements across the country are calling for voters to ditch Pacquiao in May.

This seems to be the bigger battle now for Pacquiao more than his fight against Timothy Bradley in April: Appeasing the Third Sex.

Already, Pacquiao is hard-pressed to defeat Bradley on April 10 (PH time) or run the risk of losing votes in the May 9 polls.

Surely, a defeat could derail Pacquiao’s senatorial bid.

Voters never like losers and only winners mostly appeal to them.

Pacquiao is fighting Bradley for a third time and this is a crucial fight since their record against each other is 1-1.

Bradley won by split decision in Fight 1 but Pacquiao bounced back with a unanimous win in Fight 2.

Pacquiao cannot afford to lose as this would mean the saddest farewell ever in Philippine boxing history.

Didn’t Pacquiao say this is his last fight?

A brilliant boxing career isn’t only on the line but, more importantly it seems for Pacquiao, his political star as well.

When he became a congressman in 2010, he established yet another world record as the only active world boxing champion sitting as an incumbent legislator as well.

With a win over Bradley in May, he might yet hold another world record as the first world boxing champion to be also a senator of a republic at the same time.

But first, Pacquiao has also to do a lot of major image repair as a result of the damage caused by his hurtful tirades against the country’s gays and lesbians.

Perhaps, he can start by saying he is offering his Bradley fight to the Third Sex members, donating also a portion of his $20-million purse to the movement’s call to have that pending bill on anti-discrimination against LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals and transgenders) passed ASAP.

This is not to say I am gay, if only to state a fact.

Diyos ko daayy!

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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