MANILA, Philippines—Did they have to hit and pummel Manny Pacquiao, like to a bull speared and bloodied by the horse-riding picador, ahead of his Dec. 6 Dream Match with Oscar De La Hoya?

You see, there was nothing exactly wrong with Jose Sulaiman presenting Manny Pacquiao some overdue bills.

It was, however, terribly foul how the president of the World Boxing Council had unwittingly made the Filipino boxing superhero appear like a big cheat.

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Sulaiman on Thursday threatened to strip Pacquiao of his world title if he fails to pay up.

It would be hard to determine Sulaiman’s BP reading when he made those frantic charges.

But Sulaiman’s hypertensive fears that Pacquiao had reneged on paying overdue obligations betrays the mercenary in the wobbly, terribly overweight WBC president.

In the first place, it would later become clear that Pacquiao has not been properly assessed of how much he exactly owes or how much he must cough up.

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Barked Sulaiman: “Pacquiao believes he is the ruler of the WBC and that’s not going to happen.”

Sulaiman went on to tell Reuters in Chengdu, China, where the WBC was holding its annual convention, that they’ve been badly treated by Pacquiao.

“The phone is there and the door is open,” Sulaiman reminded Pacquiao through Reuters.

Yes, communication lines remained open, which makes us wonder why Sulaiman suddenly turned childish and threw tantrums, instead of picking up the phone.

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Anyway, we checked and it’s clear that Pacquiao has not been properly informed how much he must pay, if indeed he has some back dues with the WBC.

Other than a $30,000 fee being charged for an earlier fight, the WBC is also insisting that Pacquiao pay $100,000 (within 15 days of his anticipated fight against De La Hoya) or face the same punishment.

However, broadcaster Ronnie Nathanielsz yesterday said it could not yet be determined if the fee being demanded by Sulaiman was for Pacquiao’s second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.

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For the record, Nathanielsz explained, the sanction fee for Pacquiao’s last fight against David Diaz, from whom he took the WBC lightweight crown, had been promptly settled.

What’s actually needed here is the proper presentation of bills, as decently observed in international negotiations.

In fact, Jeng Gacal, Pacquiao’s lawyer, claimed he had not received any formal request from the WBC for payment of contingency fees.

If there’s a legitimate shortfall, Gacal assured Reuters, it would be paid promptly.

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Well, there’s big money involved and, as could only be expected, Sulaiman wasted no time moving to center stage during the WBC convention to denounce and threaten Pacquiao.

Sulaiman scored as the whole world listened to what he had to say about Pacquiao.

Sulaiman, who was treated like a king in his visits to Manila, also repaid his hosts by slurring the Filipino before the world.

Says lawyer Sammy Estimo, many-time captain of the RP team to the Chess Olympiad: “Mexican boxers can’t beat Pacman. At least there’s one Mexican who can do it. But he hit Pacman below the belt and at the nape. Shame on Sulaiman!”

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Adds veteran boxing chronicler Nick Giongco: “That’s the point. Maybe Don Jose is bitter that the WBC may not get any sanction fees from the Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight.”

Meanwhile, there were reports from the site of the WBC confab in China that promoter Don King also took a hand in making Pacquiao appear like a thief, said Ronnie Nathanielsz.

Which make us suspect that both King and Sulaiman may have descended from the stinking, burly usurers and liars flogged and driven away by Jesus Christ from the pillars and doorstep of the biblical temple.