Pacquiao's win is the Filipino people's victory!

Our special presentation tonight on our talkshow Straight from the Sky, we bring you a very controversial topic, an issue that has reverberated nationwide on why the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) has issued a memorandum allowing Girls into the Boy Scouts. We've already written a lot about this controversy and people are still amazed why the BSP would allow girls into Boy Scouting when they already have their own organization called the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP).

Thanks to the call for "Gender Sensitivity" or equality amongst the sexes, women are now included in such male dominated organizations like the Rotary Clubs, but fairness somehow is a one-way street where women have the advantage that is denied the men who cannot join women's organizations. So watch this very interesting show with BSP Cebu Council officials led by Hernando O. Streegan, Tony del Mar and the sole representative of the BSP National Executive Board, Provincial Board member Jose "Toti" Gastardo. See them on SkyCable's channel 15th at 8:00PM.

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I don't know if there is anyone in the Philippines who doesn't know by now that Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao won via knockout versus his Mexican opponent Erik "El Terrible" Morales. I stayed at home watching satellite television and turned off my cellphone because many of our friends would spoil my day by texting me ahead who won the match. So with a little time delay and a multitude of advertisements we had to suffer, we saw Pacquiao KO Morales in what would be the greatest fight of his life!

I don't need to give you a blow-by-blow account of that boxing match because surely all our readers saw it on tv, while those who failed to see can read the details in the front pages of this paper and whatever newspaper they can find for I'm sure Manny's victory will be splashed in the front pages of all our newspapers. Indeed, victory has a thousand fathers. But in Pacquiao's case, his victory has millions of Filipinos cheering him not just in Las Vegas, but throughout where Filipinos can be found all over the globe.

As for the gamblers, I'm sure a few guys lost by betting for Morales though the odds where quite high for Manny to win. But in the end, Pacman proved more than his worth; he is now the highest earning Filipino athlete that I know of. What next for Manny, retirement? We heard that already and this is a good suggestion; better to quit while holding the crown of World Champion otherwise he might eventually lose it.

The next question is, will he run for the Senate if he so retires? No doubt, both the administration and the opposition would surely want the name of Pacquiao in their respective slates. But I hope Manny will not be "lured" by the money that the Senate has to offer. He is better off out of politics and helping the people of General Santos City grow economically without its current peace and order problems, like kidnapping, etc.

While we congratulate Manny Pacquiao for his stunning victory, the Filipino people won with him realizing that winning a World Championship on any game is reachable, just like what we got in the World Pool Championship or the Bowling Championships. Give the Filipino a sporting chance to prove himself without the hassles of our politicians or a bureaucracy and we'll produce more world champions like Manny Pacquiao.

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Last Nov.16th, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI and the Roman Curia reaffirmed the importance of priestly celibacy, stressing the need for a "human and Christian formation" for priests and seminarians. This decision was arrived at a gathering at the Apostolic Palace with Cardinals and Archbishops who head discasteries of the Curia. Apparently, this was the 3rd such meeting with the disasteries of the Curia on this subject.

The Vatican communiqué given by the Press office said that the meetings were sought to examine the situation that arose from the disobedience of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, the 76-year-old retired Archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia who entered into a civil marriage and later ordained four bishops. No doubt, this act of disobedience carries with it self-excommunication and therefore the ordination of bishops is considered illegal or null and void.

I never doubted for a second that under the leadership of Pope Benedict VXI the traditions of the Catholic Church would steadfastly remain the same way that it always has been. Before Seminarians enter the priesthood, they are given a year off to find out for themselves if their vocation truly comes from God. If they want to be a priest then they must know that they have to remain celibate. It is really their choice, not the churches!

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