Spare Rep. Pacquiao from all this

THE DISTRACTIONS were all unexpected, although the most bothersome had been scheduled much ahead.

Manny Pacquiao has been put on the receiving end of sordid events as he started training real hard for his comeback fight in Macau on Nov. 24.

First, his Korean sparmate, a middleweight described as a bone-crusher, was a no-show as he begged off at the last minute after reportedly encountering trouble with his manager in Seoul.

Just the same, an unbeaten African banger, Fredrick Lawson (21-0, 19 KOs),  planed in from Ghana yesterday and could start working out with Pacquiao either today in Manila or tomorrow in General Santos City.

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There were other hitches, but all were totally insignificant compared to what the scheduled national barangay polls later this month reportedly spawned inside Team Pacquiao.

Sportsman Manny Piñol, former governor of North Cotabato, sounded a distress call after getting highly reliable information that village officials in Sarangani are besieging their congressman round-the-clock for financial support in their respective poll bids.

“Some of these favor-seekers would hound Pacquiao way past midnight,” Piñol reported.

In fact, the report added, Pacquiao has had to skip at least a couple of morning jogs and training as he had to stay up late to accommodate the barangay leaders.

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Knowing how patronage politics works in the country, mainly in sleepy, remote villages, Piñol made a serious suggestion.  He said Pacquiao should consider moving his training camp either to Manila or Baguio, as this seemed to be the sanest solution to the problem.

So far, Pacquiao has not been heard to either react or complain.

On top of this, close-in adviser Michael Koncz, trusted errand boy of Top Rank big boss Bob Arum, claimed everything has been going on fine inside Team Pacquiao.

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The situation out there in GenSan is anything but sordid, Koncz tried to explain.

“The house and the entire compound is secure,” Koncz said. “Manny can control the flow of people into his property as he wishes.”

Nice to hear that but, in the case of trainer Freddie Roach, it would do a lot of good if he tries to see things for himself—before it gets too late.

This is not to totally debunk the adviser’s claim that everything is A-OK in GenSan.

However, between Koncz and Piñol, the battle-scarred former governor obviously has a deeper and more reliable feel of the Pinoy psyche when it comes to patronage politics.

Piñol is right: Now is the time to come to the aid of Pacquiao, our national treasure.

We must join hands to spare him from all possible distractions, imagined or real.

Let’s all do our share. All for the sickening fact that, just like inside the boxing ring, you can run but can’t hide from the grip of pernicious Pinoy politics.