‘His footwork nearly gone and his reflexes and speed miserably down, it would be a disaster if he fights again. If he gets injured, it will also be a big blow to his political career.’
IF Sen. Manny Paquiao were 10 years younger he would have made mincemeat of WBA super welterweight champion Yodenis Ugas. Back then, great boxers Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and Oscar Dela Hoya did not stand a chance against Pacquiao, the “indestructible” brawler. The once formidable Cotto and Margarito were badly beaten, their disfigured faces seemed to be “redrawn’ by our Pambansang Kamao.
Against the Cuban, Pacquiao was a shadow of what he was once, the fate of boxing champs who have degenerated with age. His footwork nearly gone and his reflexes and speed miserably down, it would be a disaster if he fights again. If he gets injured, it will also be a big blow to his political career.
Pacquiao’s kidneys had almost suffered irreversible damage in his fight against the power-punching Margarito. He needs to employ both an exceptional brain and brawn in the rigors of a presidential run and, most especially, with the punishing demands of the country’s highest public office if he wins the elections.
I would not want to see him in the ring again. People forget that Pacquiao’s huge winnings, along with the enormous pride that he gave our country, came at a high cost to his body.
He willingly took so much unbelievable pain and stress during his brutal fights, his truly courageous testament to his love both for the sport and country.
Bishop Ephraim Tendero visited the Bible-grounded Pacquiao in his hotel room a few hours after the big fight. Pacman concluded their brief meeting with his favorite Bible verse: “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
Pacquiao, the politician, should just move on and leave the dispute at the PDP-Laban behind him. It is quite clear the Cusi-led group is determined to have its way, and with President Duterte backing Cusi, Pacquiao will never be in position to prevail. He himself said that other political parties are ready to take him once he leaves the PDP-Laban. A major regret for him would be the huge money he contributed to PDP-Laban that he may not be able to recover.
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Local officials should exercise more vigilance against persistent violators of the basic health protocols to further prevent COVID cases. Residents of Barangays Parang, Fortune and Marikina Heights in Marikina City continue to complain about people living in depressed communities and in the so-called “looban” who blatantly ignore the wearing of face masks and physical distancing. These have been observed daily and the patrols of the overworked police and the barangay tanods have failed to make the people comply.
Residents of those barangays are now more fearful than before with the continuing rise of COVID infections in Metro Manila and cite the incompetence and neglect of officials of homeowners’ associations in helping the overworked barangay staff to strictly enforce health restrictions.
