Hail Jinggoy, Poster Boy of Pork

Before Floyd Mayweather Jr. neatly demonstrated why the wildly hyped Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was not The One, boxing judge CJ Ross was best known for her abysmal role in the Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley debacle.

She was mainly responsible for making the vastly superior Pacquiao lose to Bradley through criminal scoring.

Ross surpassed herself in the Mayweather-Alvarez championship which she scored a 114-114 draw.

The fraud was made truly glaring by the fact that very few spectators felt Alvarez was able to win at least a round in the mismatch magically dominated by Mayweather.

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It goes without saying Ross, a fight judge the last 22 years, has readily become the red-light district poster girl of prizefighting.

Wrote Jay Caspian Kang of Grantland: “Ross’ 114-114 scorecard reminded every impressionable fan about all the reasons why, in the words of the great Paul Maglinaggi, boxing is bullshit.”

Next rose cries for authorities to question and investigate Cynthia Ross.

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THERE was a picture in the Inquirer front page yesterday of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada beaming in handsome porky splendor.

“What Me, Worry?”

The head of the caption was both apt and perplexing.

Before the pork barrel scam broke out in the open, Jinggoy Estrada was best known as a young senator who has slowly groped his way back to some respectability.

He had been charged and jailed, with his father, former President Joseph Estrada, for plunder.

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In the Senate trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, Senator Estrada, other than show he could mumble carabao English better than his father, was able to score pogi points through otherwise sensible questioning.

While the regal robe worn by the senators seemed to slowly fit Jinggoy’s juvenile delinquent poise came rumors he would soon be seeking higher office—maybe as vice president.

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His father next won the mayoralty of Manila.

Things seemed to be riding well on the road to full vindication.

Of course, it was the least surprising that Jinggoy next got bunched up among the three senators who had allegedly connived with Janet Napoles in the explosive pork barrel scam.

Jinggoy characteristically shook off allegations by declaring total innocence.

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Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. first made a denial by saying his signatures had obviously been forged.

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile pointed to his staff.

When the Senate opened a probe on the scam, only Jinggoy among the top three suspects dared attend.

“Sen. Jinggoy Estrada strikes a ‘sexy’ pose a day after the Department of Justice filed plunder against him and Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr. in the Office of the Ombubsman in connection with the pork barrel scam,” said the Inquirer front page caption yesterday.

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A picture can indeed paint a thousand words.

In Jinggoy’s case, he has broken barriers with that defiant—if insulting—demeanor.

Next, he got a big sympathetic hug from Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares on the Senate floor.

What Me, Worry?

The pose was a slur on human dignity.

It spoke painfully of unbending callousness.

Hail, the poster boy of pork!