Refused P30,000 cash incentive, Navarette throws a fit

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The bad boy’s "wild" tale continues.

A slight commotion stirred the city council’s office the other day as an irate former world boxing champion Rolando Navarette reportedly pressed anew for cash assistance from the city government.

Appearing desperate, the cash-strapped Navarette came to the office of councilor Maureen Rodriguez, head of the council’s youth and sports committee, and asked that he be included in the city government’s incentive program for outstanding local athletes.

The city government, on Rodriguez’s efforts, allocated cash incentives to local athletes who excelled in various sports last year.

Holders of world titles are entitled to receive P30,000 cash incentive each as provided by the "Parangal sa Atleta" program of the city’s sports development office.

Manny Pacquiao and Charlit Rodrigo, reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight and mini-flyweight titlists, respectively, were allocated P20,000 each.

Explaining that the incentive program covers only athletes who excelled last year, a city council employee told Navarette that he is ineligible to receive any cash assistance.

Hearing this, Navarette allegedly went berserk and repeatedly punched a steel cabinet behind Rodriguez’s desk.

The surprised and evidently threatened city council employees immediately sought assistance from other male employees and police personnel who eventually succeeded in pacifying Navarette.

Jennifer Policarpio, Rodriguez’s legal assistant, said Navarette will not in any way be entitled to a cash incentive because the program specifically covers athletes who won or gained their titles last year.

She, however, said the city’s sports division did not fail to recognize Navarette’s past achievements.

In fact, the former WBC junior featherweight champion was allocated a special cash incentive of P5,000.

But Navarette refused to accept the amount, insisting that he is entitled to the full P30,000 cash incentive.

So far, awardees of the program have yet to receive the promised cash rewards pending certification by tournament and sports officials.

Aside from Paquiao and Rodrigo, the city has prepared a cash incentive for National Master Apolinar Torrijos, the first local chess player who earned such mark.

Monday’s incident was just one of several occasions when Navarette, who used to be called the "Bad Boy" of Philippine boxing due to his repeated brushes with the law, showed his "seemingly uncontrollable" temper at City Hall.

Last year, he was nearly charged in court for allegedly choking and punching at least two employees of the city treasurer’s office. He also had floored a media practitioner and allegedly tried to torch a neighbor’s house.