MANILA, Philippines?Was there a dirtier blow than the phantom punch thrown from the back of the victim and which floored the close-in aide of boxing superhero Manny Pacquiao on Monday?
Curses and threats followed the mysterious incident.
However, plans to file charges against the suspect have reportedly been dropped Friday, thereby leaving people wondering what really happened after Rescue 911 was called in from the Wild Card Gym.
Take it from boxing man Manny Piñol, peppery vice governor of North Cotabato. The foulest blow of the season was not thrown inside Freddie Roach?s famous boxing parlor in Hollywood.
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The foulest move in boxing, swears Piñol, was the announced election of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) next Wednesday.
It has got to be stopped, Piñol swore all the way from Davao City on Friday.
He?s mad, terribly mad.
?If I have to go all the way to the Supreme Court, I will do it again,? he exclaimed.
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Yes, again.
Last month, Piñol spearheaded a gallant move to stop the ceding of enormous parts of Mindanao to a rebel faction led by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
There had been no consultation whatsoever with the people in the affected areas, so Piñol, crying against the anomaly, fought tooth and nail to cause the revocation of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) sponsored by the Arroyo government.
It was a dirty fight that saw Piñol being called names and accused of assorted crimes and violations.
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Son of poor school teachers from M?lang, North Cotabato, who as a boy broke his hands tilling arid farmlands, Piñol stood his ground.
The determination and sacrifices were later rewarded by the Supreme Court which declared the MOA between the government and the MILF unlawful.
Hardly had Piñol rested than he?s again accosted by a dirty move to manipulate the election of the national amateur boxing body by failed leaders who wanted to perpetuate mediocrity in Philippine sports.
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Piñol explains why he?s headed for the Supreme Court again:
?Former Congressman Tonyboy Floreindo has accepted the challenge and will vie for the presidency of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap).
?But the issue on whether he?s qualified to run remains a big question.
?While Tonyboy was elected regional chair of the Abap Region XI three years ago, the Abap national office has refused to acknowledge his election.
?Abap did not want to recognize him as regional chair, which would be a requirement for him to vie for the Abap presidency.
?Generose Ferrazini, who supervises the amateur boxing program of Davao del Norte and Panabo City, yesterday confirmed that she submitted the results of the regional election to the Abap national office three years ago.
?She has been following up the matter for the past three years.
?There has been no acknowledgment or recognition until now.
?Anyway, with the strategies, like scheduling an election so soon before the regional Abap chairmanship issue could be settled?thereby preventing well-meaning people to participate in the electoral exercise?it?s clear (Abap president) Manny Lopez and the Abap cabal are resorting to foul tactics in a desperate bid to hold on to their posts.
?We will not allow this, and we will take the issue to the Supreme Court if need be.
?This much we owe to our sports-loving people.?
