INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?Manny Pacquiao may have junked the administration in favor of Manny Villar in the coming elections, but Malacañang is rooting for the boxing champion just the same in his title defense this Sunday.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s deputy spokesperson all but joined Pacquiao?s corner on Thursday, advising him to totally forget about politics when he faces Ghanian Joshua Clottey.

?He cannot afford not to be focused because he will risk being hurt or even knocked out,? Gary Olivar told reporters in Filipino. ?He should not think that the one who will be in front of him in the ring will not be Clottey, but whoever he will be facing in the political arena.?

Pacquiao, currently regarded as the best boxer in the world, will defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Clottey in Arlington, Texas.

Whatever the outcome, the Filipino boxer will face another battle on May 10, this time in the congressional race in Saranggani province. He decided to run under Villar?s Nacionalista Party despite his being a long-time administration ally.

But Olivar said the administration would remain supportive of Pacquiao despite his decision to jump to the other side of the political fence.

?Manny is first of all a Filipino we can be proud of and a national treasure,? he said. ?Politics is just secondary.?

Olivar warned Pacquiao to be wary of Clottey?s reported ?dirty tricks,? a concern earlier raised by his trainer Freddie Roach. The head, according to Roach, was among the Ghanian?s best weapons.

?We fully expect Manny to win,? he said. ?But we hope he won?t get hurt with the dirty tricks that Mr Clottey is expected to come up with.?