Pacquiao retains ‘magic’ in Vargas boxing match

CEBU, Philippines - Looks like Pacquiao still got his mojo. And we don't mean his win over Jessie Vargas yesterday.

"Generally peaceful except of one incident before the fight."

This was the overall assessment of Superintendent Joel Doria, Cebu City Police Office director, during the fight of Senator Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas aired over pay-per-view and via delayed telecast.

In the country where streets become deserted as all are glued to the television every time Pacquiao fights, Doria said that at 11:08 a.m., before the fight, Mambaling Police Station recorded a theft incident on N. Bacalso Avenue.

Superintendent David Señor, CCPO operations branch chief, however, said that at the start of the Pacquiao fight until it ended there was no incident anywhere in Cebu City.

In fact, he said, there was also no traffic during the fight because most people were watching.

Señor said this means the respect of the people of Pacquiao was still there.

"Unta kada-adlaw ang away ni Pacquiao kay para walay gubot unya permi linaw ang syudad," he said, quite seriously.

Police Officer 1 Niño Cabaron of Cebu Provincial Police Office operations branch also told The FREEMAN that there was also no incident recorded in the entire province during the Pacquiao fight.

"So far mingaw walay mga dagkong hitabo sa away ni Pacquiao.  Sa una pa man gyud ni basta away ni Pacman wala poy magpabadlong," he said.

Meanwhile, Cebu City officials also expressed elation over the senator cum boxer's latest fight.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who said he always thought that only Pacquiao make the citizens in this country grateful being Filipino, found the fight exciting.

"I expected a boring fight like (that with Floyd) Mayweather, who kept running away. It was exciting and inspiring to see Manny fight as if he was younger than Vargas," he said.

For Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, Pacquiao deserved to be called the "living legend of boxing".

"The win of Pacquiao also underscores the fact that boxing is not just purely physical sport but it is also a mental activity," he said.

City Councilor Pastor "Jun" Alcover, on the other hand, said it is time now for Pacquiao to decide whether to still continue with his boxing career or concentrate on being a public servant.

"That's only my opinion. A veteran, well-experienced Pacman against a very young and lacking in experience (Vargas)…? I think it's more about the money," he said.

City Councilor Joel Garganera also said he no longer felt the excitement he used to have every time there is a Pacquiao fight, considering the senator's last performance, but he still prayed for him to have a victorious fight. — Odessa O. Leyson / RHM (FREEMAN)