Louie’s dad appeals to Davide

Two-time world boxing champion Luisito Espinosa’s impoverished and gravely-ill father Dio recently sent an impassioned appeal to Chief Justice Hilario Davide to look into his son’s case which has dragged in the lower courts for years.

Dio’s dying wish is for his son to get a new lease on life. Espinosa lives a poor life in the US and does odd jobs to put food on the table. His three children are back in the Philippines and his wife Marie Cherie is rumored to have left him.

It has been over seven years since Espinosa defended his World Boxing Council featherweight title against Carlos Rios in Koronadal without being paid his purse of $150,000.

Former South Cotabato Gov. Larry de Pedro signed a promissory note guaranteeing payment of the purse before the bout. He told Espinosa’s manager Joe Koizumi he could not deliver the cash because it was a weekend and the bank was closed.

Koizumi, a Japanese, refused to allow Espinosa to enter the ring unless the purse was paid in full as stipulated by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB). But de Pedro prevailed on Koizumi to give the go-signal after signing the promissory note.

A source said Koizumi was threatened to allow Espinosa to fight "or else."

"If Espinosa didn’t fight, I don’t think Koizumi would’ve gotten out of Koronadal in one piece," said the source. "And someone told him that."

According to Espinosa’s former manager Hermie Rivera, two-thirds of a fighter’s purse must be deposited with the GAB upon signing of the fight contract. The deposit and the one-third balance are paid to the fighter before the bout, usually after the weigh-in the previous day.

Clearly, the rules were ignored in Espinosa’s case. Dio wrote his letter to Davide in Pilipino. Here are excerpts:

"Hanggang sa kasalukuyan, kami po ay naghihintay ng katarungan ukol sa hindi pagbibigay kay Luisito ng premyong $150,000 na karapat-dapat ay kaniyang nakuha walong taon na ang nakalipas.

"Bilang Pilipino, nakatutuwang sariwain na walong taon na ang nakalipas nang ipagbunyi ng buong bansa ang katapangan at tagumpay ng aking anak sa pagdepensa ng kaniyang korona sa South Cotabato.

"Ngunit nakakalungkot isipin na sa kabila ng kabayanihan ng aking anak, patuloy na siyang ipinabali-wala ng mga taong gumamit lamang sa kasikatan ni Luisito upang maisulong ang kanilang mga pansariling mithiin.

"Ngayon ay napipilitan na lamang si Luisito na ipagpatuloy pa ang paglaban sa US para lamang maibigay ang pangangailangan ng kaniyang pamilya, bagay na ikinababahala ko dahil maaring iyon ang maging mitsa ng kaniyang buhay.

"Ang akin lamang pong panawagan ay malaman na ng aming pamilya at ni Luisito ang nararapat na hatol sa ginawang pagsampa ng kaso nito laban sa tumayong promoter ng laban na si Rod Nazario, matchmaker Lito Mondejar at governor Larry de Pedro.

"Kasalukuyan pong dinidinig ang kaso sa sala ni Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Rosario Cruz.

"Nawa’y inyo pong pagtuunan nang nararapat na pansin ang aming panawagan bago man ako mamaalam sa mundong ito dahil sa aking karamdaman, para kay Luisito hindi lamang bilang aking anak, kung ‘di bilang isang bayani na tunay na maipagmamalaki ng ating bansa."

Dio, a former fighter himself who battled the likes of world champions Hiroyuki Ebihara and Fighting Harada, will be called to testify in the twice-postponed hearing in Judge Cruz’ court this morning.

Espinosa’s lawyer Dennis Mazanal filed a motion for immediate judgment on the recovery case late last year as the defense failed to mount serious arguments but Judge Cruz has not acted on it. A hearing on Feb. 8 was postponed to March 8, later postponed to today.

The de facto promoter was de Pedro–which is why he signed the promissory note. It remains his sole responsibility to pay Espinosa what he owes.

Full media coverage is expected in today’s hearing as there is widespread sympathy for Espinosa. The pressure is on Judge Cruz to rule on the case with finality as soon as possible.

Now 37 and in his 21st year as a pro, Espinosa was knocked out by Cristobal Cruz of Mexico in Stockton, California, last Feb. 18. It was his fifth defeat in his last eight outings and brought down his record to 47-12, with 26 KOs. He was reportedly paid $3,000 for the workout.

Espinosa has ignored calls from fans, friends and relatives to hang up his gloves because boxing is his primary source of livelihood.

Without his wife and children, Espinosa lives with a friend, a garage mechanic, in Fairfield, near Vallejo.

Perhaps, Espinosa should seriously consider returning home. There may be more work opportunities for Espinosa here than in the US. He could train fighters, work as a pro in a gym, be a bodyguard for a politician or even run for politics. If he’s home, Espinosa could personally attend Judge Cruz’ hearings and be accessible to media in pleading for justice.

Surely, Espinosa deserves a lot more from his countrymen as a legendary athlete than just being a faded memory.