Pacman still doesn't know his limitations

The latest booboo of Manny Pacquiao could have been caused by his being lowly-educated, or for lack of finesse in the intricacies of fine culture. It's probably also a narcissistic aberration that is more of a psycho monomania of a typical nouveau riche unmindful of, or not knowing his limitations.

Just because he has acquired riches beyond his dreams, he now believes he can do anything, and aspires for that elusive power to compensate for his educational and cultural inadequacies. In fact, just because he can now communicate in stilted, carabao English that strains and fractures good usage, he thinks he has already mustered the language.

And because he has gained fame with his fists, he is obsessed that there is nothing he can not do for his "sambayanang Pilipino" - his favorite tagline - as if public service is shortcut by just doling out money as he gets elected as congressman on his second try.

Such passion for pol greatness replicates that of Icarus in mythology in soaring for the skies, only to suffer with burnt wings from the sun. And there's no sequel in mythology that Icarus didn't learn his lesson as to dare a second time.

But Pacquiao who was cut down by the petite congresswoman Darlene Antonino Custodio who is Pacman's ardent boxing fan, hasn't learned his lesson. He still continues to salivate for a second fling for Congress, as his lofty alternative after retiring from boxing.

The fallacy of facilitating his political ambition with his May 2 fight against Ricky Hatton, spurs him to demand a better and wider tv coverage. He believes that ABS-CBN commands wider exposure than GMA-7 wherein his contract with Solar Sports is still existing. Pacman also thinks that ABS-CBN is a better "partner" for his second try in politics.

Pacquiao hasn't learned from that aborted multi-million dollar breach of contract suit that he stoked between Oscar dela Hoya and Bob Arum, remember? Like the ABS-CBN and GMA-7 aborted case, Pacquiao had the temerity to defy the wizened Bob Arum's live contract with him. Lucky for Pacman that the fiasco he had created with outright ignorance on the repercussions from breach, was threshed out in the end. Apparently, both international boxing promoters still realized that Pacman was the golden goose for both of them, only knowing the law no better.

In retrospect, perhaps the gullible-minded Pacman could be just misguided by handlers who have no guts to say no, or just so toady-oriented to go along the erratic ambition of their master just to please him, like okay, okay, boss.

Incidentally, the AFP's plain flattery by conferring Pacquiao an NCO rank has abetted his ego. Another could be the questionable placement tests that "promoted" the elementary grader to the equivalent of a high school graduate, and "eligible" for college, could also be contributory to inflating the misplaced hubris.

The "trapos" tailing him and betting on his boxing exploits could have made a wrong impression on the simple-minded Pacman. Knowing them as his lackeys despite the level they are holding in government, Pacquiao must have thought that if these lackeys of his are powerful in politics, then why not he who is being idolized and lionized by them.

Indeed, there's verity to the old-age wisdom that even village folk can understand, that the worst misfortune that man may suffer from is not ignorance per se, but the mulish adamance in refusing to see his own human limitations.

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