Monsour, Asuncions wary of PBA Partylist

Another high-profile sportsman has joined bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno in airing questions about practices of Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta or PBA Partylist, implying he may have been misled into endorsing Manny Pacquiao, and not the partylist’s intended nominees for congress.

Taekwondo Olympian Monsour del Rosario, who appears in separate print and TV ads for the group, claims he was approached by the partylist’s chairman, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and his old friend Alvin Anson to lend his name to the campaign. When contacted by The STAR to confirm that he is indeed an endorser of the party, del Rosario – who is running for councilor of Makati – said he did not know whom he was endorsing when approached to film their television campaign commercial. He was upset by the misinformation, and emphatically clarified his position.

“Manny and Alvin approached me, asking if I would endorse them, and I said yes,” recalls del Rosario, who represented the Philippines in dozens of international taekwondo competitions, including the world championships before embarking on a show business career. “I did not know that it wasn’t Manny who was running. They never told me. I only found out later that he was running separately for Sarangani.”

Del Rosario added that he felt the additional exposure might help his own personal campaign in the tight race in Makati, which was one reason he agreed to endorse Pacquiao. A file photo of del Rosario appears on the banner of the party’s website, alongside images of Pacquiao and billiards champion Efren Reyes.

This was in reaction to a complaint by Nepomuceno, a four-time bowling World Cup winner, that the group used his name and likeness in a full-page print ad that appears in a current issue of a local badminton magazine without his permission. Nepomuceno contacted The STAR to voice his displeasure.

“I am not running for any position. PBA Partylist used my name and picture without my authorization,” said Nepomuceno the other week.

Recently, his portrait and memorabilia were placed at the entrance to the new bowling Hall of Fame in Dallas, Texas.

Del Rosario clarified that he felt it was a personal favor for Pacquiao, and not the other unknown candidates of the partylist.

“I want to be clear: I did it for Manny Pacquiao and Alvin Anson, who are personal friends of mine. You can quote me on that,” added del Rosario. “Manny even thanked me for doing the commercial for free.”

In addition, after The STAR printed Nepomuceno’s complaint, this writer was contacted by TV director Babet Lati, who is also creative director of Badminton Xtreme Philippines, the magazine in question published by the known badminton family, the Asuncions. Lati claims the Asuncions were not fully aware that it was a print ad, but interpreted it as an article in their magazine which was requested by a nominee of PBA Partylist. But a close examination of the material shows that it is laid out like a print ad, a print ad that makes it appear that all the athletes pictured therein are endorsing the party and its candidates, which is not actually true.

“We do not know what is going on internally with the party,” Lati told The STAR. “The Asuncions were just told that it was to help sports, so naturally, we agreed. We didn’t know the exact relationship with the athletes in the article.”

Lati also expressed concern that, after Nepomuceno’s complaint came out, the partylist allegedly removed from their website photographs of other athletes who attended their events. She added that the publishers of Badminton Xtreme Philippines intend to print a disclaimer in the following issue, which will most likely come out after the elections.

The print ad in question featured 12 known athletes, including Nepomuceno, Reyes and retired PBA players, among others. Nepomuceno and Reyes were even mentioned in the ad itself. The photos were lined up under the misleading heading “Top Athletes Join Forces for PBA Partylist”. As it turns out, del Rosario was under the impression that he was endorsing Pacquiao himself, not the PBA Partylist’s true candidates. The group first fielded candidates in the last elections, but none of their nominees earned enough votes to get into congress.

Given the circumstances, it appears that the group concerned is riding on the popularity of present and former athletes who would gladly do anything to help sports in general, even lending their reputations for free. They are invited with vague promises of “helping sports” and innocently and good-naturedly agree to supporting the party, which has primarily hitched its wagon to Pacquiao’s star. Now, with the election date nearing, more of the athletes are wondering what the candidates really plan to do, since the primary nominees are not known to be involved in sports to being with. Was their real deception intended?

Some former members of the party are also coming forward with their own complaints against the group and its practices. The STAR is confirming the information being presented.