INQUIRER Sports

Miguel Molina may have graciously yielded to Manny Pacquiao the honor of carrying the Philippine flag during the opening ceremony of next month?s Beijing Olympics, but will the Chinese organizers allow a last-minute addition to the Philippine delegation?

Philippine contingent secretariat head Moying Martelino Sunday said they will e-mail the Games? accreditation committee ?first thing in the morning? regarding the recent choice of Pacquiao as flag bearer with the hope that the organizers would readily approve it.

?We are hoping that they will give him (Pacquiao) accreditation,? said Martelino, noting that the deadline for submission of entries was on June 15.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed the newly crowned World Boxing Council lightweight champion last Friday as special RP envoy to the Olympics and flag bearer during the opening ceremony on Aug. 8.

The move was immediately supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee which set on July 9 a special board meeting to name Pacquiao the flag bearer in place of Molina.

Told of the new development, the 2007 Southeast Asian Games swimming king gallantly stepped aside in favor of the boxing legend.

But the only way Pacquiao can carry the RP tricolor during the opening ceremony, according to Martelino, is to get an accreditation.

?All athletes who will parade will come from the Athletes Village, and you can?t enter it without accreditation,? said Martelino.

NBA star Yao Ming is reportedly carrying the flag for host China, while Russia is said to be parading tennis superstar Maria Sharapova.

Despite that, RP Olympic chief of mission Monico Puentevella said having the ?Pacman? as the RP flag bearer is an unprecedented honor because he is a professional and boxing is still not an open sport like basketball and tennis.