Not too many congressmen keen on Pacquiao fight

Not too many colleagues in Congress are expected to watch live Rep. Manny Pacquio when he fights American Brandon Rios in Macau on Sunday.

MANILA, Philippines—“Yolanda” has apparently knocked out the craving of Filipino lawmakers for ringside seats when Manny Pacquiao fights the American Brandon Rios in Macau on Sunday.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Tuesday only a dozen members of the House of Representatives had sought permission to fly to Asia’s casino center to watch what some pundits claim could be the Saranggani lawmaker’s last fight.

Pacquiao’s coach, Freddie Roach, has said Pacquiao should retire if he loses to Rios.

Appetite lost

Belmonte said more lawmakers might go and watch the fight—they could use their regular passports for unofficial travel—but he doubted they would be significant in number.

“I don’t think many members are inclined to go to Macau this weekend. I think they’ve lost their appetite, especially with the suffering of millions in Leyte and Samar,” Belmonte said.

The Speaker offered to give reporters the five tickets he had received from Pacquiao. But no one accepted the offer.

There were reports that between 60 and 70 lawmakers had been given free tickets by Pacquiao but Belmonte could not confirm this.

Belmonte said there had been expectations that Filipino lawmakers would constitute a big contingent at Cotai Arena in Macau, considering it was just a two-hour flight away from Manila.

“But in the light of events last week, I think our members are sensitive to the plight of the [typhoon] victims,” he said.

Pay per view

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez agreed with Belmonte that most lawmakers would rather stay home and watch Pacquiao’s fight on pay-per-view.

“I planned on watching, too, but then Yolanda struck so I decided to just stay home and help in the relief operations,” Benitez said.

Benitez plans on joining a group of lawmakers in a mercy mission to Samar this Friday.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said he got four free tickets from Pacquiao and he planned on using them with his family.

“I’ve done my part in the relief operations and I think Pacquiao needs some support. My family deserves a vacation, too,” Erice said.

Good fight

Pacquiao himself was torn between visiting the devastated towns of Leyte, where his mother, Dionisia, comes from, but he was not allowed by his trainers to do so since his fight was nearing.

“I am going to deliver additional assistance there,” Pacquiao said before leaving for Macau on Monday. “In fact, I will be visiting the victims soon to at least uplift their spirits. I will do that immediately after my fight.”

“His bout was fast approaching, that’s why we told him to do it after Macau,” said Pacquiao’s assistant trainer, Buboy Fernandez.

Pacquiao promised to put up a good fight to inspire the people affected by the disaster and the Filipino nation in general.—With a report by Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao