MANILA, Philippines - Against the advice of Malacañang, some congressmen are pushing through with their plans to watch the bout between Filipino world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican boxer Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas this weekend.
Speaker Prospero Nograles told reporters that he would leave Manila on Friday and would be back on Tuesday next week to attend House sessions.
“So I will just be missing Monday’s session,” he pointed out.
When reminded that the public may not like lawmakers traveling abroad to watch boxing matches especially at a time when the country has just been devastated by several typhoons, Nograles argued that lawmakers – like everybody else – have the right to travel where they want to, particularly if they will be paying their own way.
“Like you (reporters), congressmen also have the freedom of movement, especially if they are going on their own,” Nograles pointed out, downplaying insinuations that around 50 lawmakers will be attending the Pacquiao-Cotto fight.
Nograles has apparently gotten used to answering queries with regard to legislators leaving to watch the fights of Pacquiao. “There’s always an issue everytime Pacquiao has a fight. Pero mabuti din iyan, kasi (But that’s good, because) everytime na may issue he always wins the fight,” he said in jest.
Nograles clarified that taxpayers would not shoulder a single centavo of his travel expenses.
“I’m traveling on my own. I think ganun din iyung iba (it’s the same with the others). There’s no official travel (for congressmen),” he said.
“I just hope PAL (Philippine Airlines) can arrange a travel where my seatmate will be Aling Dionisia (mother of Pacquiao),” Nograles said, drawing laughter from Congress reporters. “It’s a long trip.”
Nograles denied that around 50 congressmen are leaving for the US to watch the fight.
“That’s far from the truth because there is no travel order signed (for the lawmakers),” he said. “But we can’t stop anybody from moving around as long as they are spending their own money.”
Nograles, an avid fan of Pacquiao, said he had watched almost all fights of the Filipino champion in the US, spending his own money for transportation and accommodation.