Malacañang: Pacquiao, despite loss, remains as champion for Filipinos

Manny Pacquiao sits in his corner following the 11th round of his WBO welterweight title fight against Timothy Bradley on Saturday, June 9, 2012, in Las Vegas. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Pacquiao remains as the champion for all Filipinos. AP PHOTO/CHRIS CARLSON Manny Pacquiao: Still the Filipinos’ champ

MANILA, Philippines—Even if Manny Pacquiao lost to Timothy Bradley, he remains to be the winner for Filipinos, Malacañang said on Sunday.

In a statement, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Filipinos continue to support Pacquiao despite his loss to Bradley, the new WBO welterweight belt champion.

“Si Manny pa rin ang nag-iisa at ipinagmamalaking Pambansang Kamao ng sambayanang Pilipino (Manny is still the one and only National Fist that the whole Philippine nation takes pride in),” Valte said in a statement she issued several minutes after the fight.

Valte said Pacquiao managed again “to show the endurance and strength of Filipinos to the world; that whatever setback, hardship and pain we endure, we will not have second thoughts to continue the fight for the country’s honor.”

But she conceded that in any field, there were winners and losers.

“Still, Filipinos have many times proven that for each fall, it is a chance to show our abilities to rise with head held up high,” according to the deputy presidential spokesperson.

She said that just as long as people are united, the nation can be assured it can stand tall toward victory and where all Filipinos are victors.

Valte called on the people to pray for Pacquiao to recover his energy and strength.

“In your next fight, you can expect us to be always one with you,” she said, referring to Pacquiao.

Valte said she did not know if President Aquino, who just returned home from trips to the United Kingdom and the United States early Sunday, was able to watch the Pacquiao-Bradley fight.