KORONADAL CITY, Philippines – Gamblers here regretted that they placed a bet on underdog Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto instead of Manny Pacquiao.
Joseph Evangelista, a businessman from a town in the upper valley area of South Cotabato, said he regretted betting on Cotto, who was bigger but still lost his world welterweight belt to Pacquiao in yesterday’s fight.
“I really regret betting on Cotto. It’s part of the game. You win some and lose some. The important thing is the whole country is rejoicing because Pacquiao won in his fight,” Evangelista said.
Jerry Crisanto, a farmer from a nearby barangay of this city, said he also regretted betting some of his money on Cotto.
“I wished I just had placed a bet on Manny. Sayang talaga,” Crisanto said.
They were two of the hundreds of people who paid P150 to watch the “live” boxing fight of Pacquiao and Cotto on a big screen inside the Edwin M. Romero (EMR) entertainment and recreation center in this city.
The two refused to say how much they gambled on Cotto.
They said they placed bets on Cotto because they thought the Puerto Rican boxer had an edge over Pacquiao.
“Cotto is big compared to Manny and has a good record too,” Crisanto said.
They wished they had just bet on Pacquiao who knocked down Cotto in the third and fourth rounds of their fight at MGM Grand Arena Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Thousands of Pacquiao fans here cheered their hearts out for the people’s champ while watching the bout.
GMA misses Pacquiao-Cotto fight
In Singapore, President Arroyo missed the Pacquiao-Cotto fight as she had to attend to the last few meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) here while the bout was taking place.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde delivered the statement of the President on the victory of Pacquiao, which was prepared in advance because of the tight schedule of Mrs. Arroyo.
The President was attending the APEC Leaders’ Retreat and the breakfast early yesterday so there was no way for her to watch the fight.
Remonde was actually able to catch a few rounds of the fight in his room at the Fullerton Hotel, together with some members of the Philippine media just before a meeting.
It was not revealed whether Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Trade Secretary Peter Favila were also watching the fight in the same hotel but they left for their meetings at the same time as Remonde after the result of the fight was revealed.
The broadcast of the fight was actually cut in the middle of the seventh round and so the result was known only after text messages from the Philippines came through the phones of the people watching in the room.
A number of establishments, particularly in the Lucky Plaza Mall frequented by Filipinos here, showed the fight but on a delayed basis.
There are over 144,000 Filipinos based here and since the fight was on a Sunday, almost everyone was on their day off.
Pacquiao has been a source of pride for the Philippines since he started accumulating titles in different weight divisions.
President Arroyo has been a Pacquiao fan for some time already and always makes it a point to invite the world-class boxer over to Malacañang after his bouts in the US.
Pacman’s fan dies of heart attack while watching fight
Meanwhile, in Batangas, a 62-year old businessman died while watching Pacquiao’s fight with Cotto.
Superintendent Manuel Abu, Batangas City police chief identified the fatality as Cecilio Cabrera, resident of Beredo Subdivision in Barangay Alangilan, Batangas City and owner of Pick and Save Supermarket.
According to reports, Cabrera was watching the Pacquiao-Cotto fight in Pontefino Hotel in Barangay Gulod Labac when he suffered cardiac arrest and died at around 1:10 p.m.
Cabrera was rushed to Jesus of Nazareth Hospital but later died.
The Cabreras’ friend Dess Aclan said he started to get excited when Pacquiao knocked down Cotto in the third round.
Aclan said Cabrera collapsed as the 3rd round was about to end and Pacquiao in control of the fight.
“His eyes started to dilate and his body became stiff and collapsed while he was holding on to his chest,” Aclan said. With Marvin Sy and Arnell Ozaeta