Pacquiao fans in Visayas: How can running constitute boxing victory?

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Charlie Barte, 54, decided to sing his blues away after the heart-breaking loss of his idol, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

Barte, who used to be an overseas Filipino worker, sang “Beer” by the band Itchyworms while drinking beer because he was dismayed by the decision.
“I show my disappointment by singing,” said Barte, a resident of Barangay (village) Mambaling.

Barte installed a pay-per-view connection to his 55-inch television set, which he placed in his garage with two large speakers so his neighbors could also see the fight.

He said he didn’t mind paying the P2,500 per-per-view fee although he was disappointed by the results of the bout.

Across the Visayas, cheers and jubilation turned to shock, disgust and anger after boxing icon Manny Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision to American Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Most of Pacquiao’s supporters could not comprehend how Mayweather won the match despite evading Pacquiao in most of the 12 rounds.

Alvin Traya, a 32-year-old pedicab driver in Barangay Mambalin in Cebu City, said the match was “fixed” by judges.

“Pacquiao was at a disadvantage because he’s not fighting in his own country,” Traya said.

“I’ll just drive my pedicab to get over my dismay over his loss. That way, I earn,” he said.

At the convention hall of the JSU PSU Mariners Court Cebu, fans booed when Mayweather was proclaimed winner. Most of them remained in their seats after the fight in disbelief.

At the auditorium of the Armed Forces Central Command (Centcom) at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City, soldiers and families were all quiet in disbelief, according to Centcom spokesperson, Lt. Commander Jim Aris Alagao.

Alagao said they believed Pacquiao should have won the match.

Even the Cebuano contingent who watched the match in Las Vegas were shocked with the outcome.

Restaurateur Joel Rama del Prado who was with Cebu businessmen at the MGM Grand said he predicted before the fight that Pacquiao must knockout Mayweather for the Filipino boxer to win.

“Our spirits are down. We can’t believe Mayweather to be running and then winning the fight. But as I have said, I predicted it right,” he said.

In Iloilo City, hundreds of Pacquiao supporters who were earlier shouting “attack” and “sige (go) when Pacquiao relentlessly pursued Mayweather in the ring, jeered and booed when Mayweather was announced the winner.

“Mayweather was mostly running away. But he won? Pacquiao should have won the fight because we all saw how his punches landed,” said Tony Jallares, one of the hundreds who watched the match at the SM City cinemas, said.

Joel Ramirez also believed Mayweather won because of a partisan decision of the judges.

In Tacloban City, jubilation from about 5,000 fans who packed the Tacloban Convention Center turned into funeral silence.

“I was really in shock when it was announced that Manny lost to Mayweather. I thought all along he will be one to be declared  winner. He hit Mayweather several times,” Sara Vergara, 45, of Barangay 88 in San Jose district, said.

She said she felt “like dying” over the loss of Pacquiao whom she considered as her idol.

In Bacolod City, a pall of gloom fell over the packed Bacolod Arts and Youth (BAYS) Center as Mayweather was declared the winner.

Prior to the fight, priests and pastors ended Masses and services early while streets were empty as people gathered around television and radio sets, and at public venues to watch the fight of the century.

The BAYS Center was packed to the rafters but the crowd quickly thinned out when Mayweather was announced winner.

“For us, Manny won. He was cheated and Mayweather kept running,” Edgar Noquillo, 49, a driver from Barangay 1 in Bacolod City, said.

(Reports from Carmel Loise Matus, Jhunnex Napallacan, Jani Arnaiz, Joey Gabieta, Nestor Burgos Jr. and Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas)

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