Fellow lawmakers wish Pacman good luck

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. led lawmakers in wishing boxing idol and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao good luck in his fight against Mexican challenger Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao puts his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown and his reputation as the world’s pound-for-pound king on the line when he faces Marquez before an expected sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Saturday evening (Sunday noon in Manila).

The Speaker was able to visit Pacquiao in his mansion in Los Angeles last week while on his way back to Manila as Congress went on break and will resume session tomorrow.

“I greeted him and pointed that he looked fitter than ever and he said ‘you don’t look bad yourself’,” Belmonte said.

He said some in Pacquiao’s camp made arrangements to allow the House leader to watch the fight and rush to the airport after the bout and arrive in Manila in time for the resumption of session in the chamber.

Belmonte, however, said he declined the offer since it was uncertain what round the fighting congressman would knock out his Mexican challenger.

Earlier, he approved the travel request of some 26 lawmakers to the US. Not all, however, would be watching the fight.

The Speaker said no public money would be spent on the trips of the lawmakers to the US.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone last week said he went to the US as vice chairman of the House committee on information and communications technology. He said he was invited by the Science and Technology Advisory Council in Silicon Valley, and the Filipino Entrepreneurs Network.

Evardone said he and other lawmakers were able to meet with top executives of ICT giants like Google and Cisco. He said he was trying to get tickets for the fight but there was no commitment from Pacquiao.

Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco denied he was in the US to watch the fight as Belmonte had tasked him with some legislative duties.

“I really wanted to watch but it would be very difficult to disappoint a hardworking Speaker,” Haresco said in a statement, adding he was preparing for an official trip to Geneva, Switzerland to attend a meeting of the World Trade Organization.

Belmonte said the absence of the congressmen would not affect the quorum of the 286-member chamber when it resumes session tomorrow.

Palace all out for Pacquiao

Meanwhile, Malacañang threw its support for Pacquiao on his quest for greatness today against the dangerous Mexican counter-puncher.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over dzRB that the Palace could understand if some lawmakers personally wanted to watch Pacquiao and show their support.

“There is nothing more we can comment on that since Speaker Belmonte has given his authority (for the congressmen to travel and watch Pacquiao in the US),” Valte said.

She said they could not stop people from creating an intrigue out of it but on “our part, there is nothing more we can comment because, again, that is something that is internal to the House of Representatives.”

“Of course, we express our full support for our Pambansang Kamao, Manny Pacquiao,” Valte said, adding she was voicing out every ordinary Filipinos’ backing for Pacquiao.

She said local governments had set up venues where people could watch the fight and that the Palace was hopeful that the bout would again result in zero crime rate in the Philippines because everyone would be busy cheering for Pacquiao. – With Aurea Calica