Military providing free screening of Pacquiao fight

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine military is providing free live screenings of the boxing match between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Mexican three-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez on Sunday.

Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, public affairs chief, said Friday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines will hold free live viewing in major camps, including at the AFP General Headquarters Gym, AFP Grandstand, Headquarters Air Force Gym, Philippine Army Gymnasium and Grandstand at Fort Bonifacio, Philippine Navy Gymnasium at the Philippine Navy Headquarters.

“Battle-casualties and soldiers confined at the V. Luna Hospital in Quezon City will also get the chance to watch the boxing match at the V. Luna Auditorium,” he said.

Pacquiao is an Army reservist.

Soldiers on duty, however, will not be able to watch the fight as they will be manning their respective posts, while others will be out for security patrols, Burgos said.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Oban will be at the AFP Grandstand at Camp Aguinaldo on Sunday, but will also visit V. Luna Hospital, he said.

Burgos estimated a crowd of  at least 10,000 viewers in major camps alone. About  2,000 are expected at GHQ Grandstand, 1,000 at V.Luna Medical Center, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force Headquarters at 1,000 each, Philippine Army Gym with 3,000, 300 at the Fort Bonifacio General Hospital and 3,000 at the Philippine Army Grandstand.

At the Philippine Army Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, four screens will be set up in four different venues.

“It has been a tradition of the Philippine Army to provide the public, the soldiers in particular, the opportunity to watch for free the fight of Manny Pacquiao who serves as inspiration to most our soldiers being an Army reservist himself,” said acting Army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc.

Pacquiao was recently commissioned with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the AFP reserve force.