Pacquiao, like the Comelec, has a big problem

Latest word from training camp in General Santos City says a new sparmate has arrived from Los Angeles, California, to help prepare national boxing idol Manny Pacquiao for his April 9 fight with Timothy Bradley.

However, there’s a bigger news being anxiously awaited from the Pacquiao camp.

Everybody wanted to get Pacquiao’s side after the Commission on Elections had given him five days to make a stand against compelling petitions demanding the postponement of his third fight with Bradley.

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Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal has initially stated the April 9 fight in Las Vegas would not be in violation of any national law involving the conduct of polls.

It had seemed smooth sailing for Pacquiao, until former Akbayan lawmaker Walden Bello, also running for senator, filed a formal protest claiming Pacquiao would be enjoying substantial advantage over his rivals if the Bradley fight were to take place within the campaign period.

There was no immediate reaction from the Pacquiao camp.

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Instead, Pacquiao intensified training, raising efforts to a higher level.

Reports from the Pacquiao camp said trainer Freddie Roach has brought in another sparmate who had worked with Pacquiao in the 2014.

A sparring has been scheduled for Thursday, with the purpose of simulating Bradley’s moves.

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Meanwhile, former Senator Rene Saguisag rose and asked the Comelec to stop Pacquiao’s April 9 fight as it would be unfair to all other senatorial aspirants.

Pacquiao was running 8th, tied with Leila de Lima, in the last senatorial survey.

“We cannot allow him training willy-nilly and getting free publicity in this scoffaw nation,” Saguisag told the Comelec. He asked the poll body to reset the fight.

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To set things clear, Comelec chair Andres Bautista said they do not have power or authority to meddle with Pacquiao’s profession as a boxer.

Pacquiao has all the right in the world to fight anywhere, anywhere he so chooses.

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Bautista, however, said they are looking into a possible violation that could have provided Pacquiao substantial edge over the field of senatorial candidates.

Bautista also suggested the blocking of the televised transmission of the April 9 fight from Las Vegas.

“We have some control over some entities, like the massive television coverage of the event, during the election period,” the Comelec chief explained.

Bautista, playing it safe, didn’t have to explain that doing that could be equally impossible to parting the Red Sea a second time.