AT THE SUMMIT: ASEAN LEADERS JOINED P-NOY CELEBRATE PACMAN VICTORY
[PHOTO - Manny Pacquiao in deep thought after his victory over Shane Mosley Credit: Getty Images]
MANILA, MAY 9, 2011 (STAR) Indonesians and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Jakarta joined President Aquino yesterday in celebrating Manny Pacquiao�s victory over American Shane Mosley, according to a congressman accompanying the President.
�We Filipinos are not the only ones celebrating and taking pride in Manny Pacquiao�s victory. Even here in Jakarta, ASEAN employees and security personnel took time off to watch and root for Manny,� Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo said in a text message.
The President, who was here for the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders� summit and related meetings, extended his warmest congratulations to Pacquiao and called on the rest of the Filipinos to learn to lift themselves up the way the �pound-for-pound king� did.
�There is no doubt that Manny Pacquiao is a hero � the pound-for-pound king who continues to bring honor to the Philippines and who enlivens the spirit and dignity of the Filipino race,� the President said.
On Saturday night before Pacquiao�s fight, Aquino told reporters in an informal briefing that he was praying that the world�s best fighter would be well and able to finish the fight without any harm befalling him.
Aquino said he has told Pacquiao to consider �retirement� soon as he had done more than enough to make the country proud. He said he had been telling Pacquiao that at some point, he would have to consider retiring from boxing because it could also damage his body.
�(I told him) you have done more than enough for the country. He was just nodding to me,� the President said, adding that he was grateful that Pacquiao wore yellow gloves and had been calling for unity of all Filipinos.
He said the fighting congressman from Sarangani province could boost the morale and unite all Filipinos, noting that because of his immense popularity the crime rate would be low during his every bout.
�But the emphasis must be on the fact that Filipinos must learn to follow the example of Pacquiao and how he achieved his dreams, rather than just look up to him as a hero and let him be the lone country�s pride in the field of sports,� Aquino said.
�We should not be looking to just one person to carry us all, we should carry ourselves. But that�s how it is turning out to be, when there is already one hero, that�s it, it�s like saying it�s all in your hands now,� he said.
He stressed that no single person could play �superman� for the nation and that everyone should get on board to uplift the nation.
In his statement, the President said that in defending his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt, Pacquiao showed his innate stability, strength and courage, and also displayed the discipline, determination and greatness of the Filipino.
Aquino said this was even highlighted by Pacquiao�s decision to wear yellow boxing gloves, which would signify his cooperation in fighting poverty.
Yellow is the color of the Liberal Party where Aquino and Pacquiao belong.
� Despite his achievements, Pacquiao does not forget to look back and lift up his fellowmen who have been knocked out by problems. He sees that there are fights that do not end inside the ring, that he has an obligation to the country, where his true concern and service to the people are his best weapons,� Aquino said.
Pacquiao�s children ecstatic
In Bi�an, Laguna, the boxer�s children allowed more than a hundred fans to watch the fight inside the Pacquiao home.
Gathered in front of their 15-inch flat screen television were his children Jimuel, 10; Michael, 9, Princess, 4 and Queen Elizabeth, 2, who cheered jubilantly with the crowd whenever their father scored against Mosley.
�I was a little bit scared but I know from the very start that my dad will defeat Mosley. Congratulations daddy... I am so proud of you,� Jimuel said when interviewed by The STAR.
Pacquiao�s children said that compared to their father�s previous homecoming, this time they don�t need any �pasalubong� from their dad except for him to come home early and safely with their mom Jinkee.
�Just come home soon dad with mom safely because we all miss you so much,� Michael said.
Princess, on the other hand, said she made a special Mother�s Day greeting card for her mom Jinkee as her Mother�s Day gift.
�I made it in school and I wrote messages for mom. I would like to say congratulations too to daddy. I love you both very much and I miss you,� she said.
Unifying victory
Pacquiao�s victory reverberated not only across the nation but also in other Asian countries. Representative Quimbo, who accompanied the President, said Indonesians were ecstatic over the victory of the Filipino champion and were celebrating as if he was their own.
�I personally witnessed Indonesians jumping in celebration after Pacquiao�s victory. For them, Pacquiao is not only the Philippines� pride but the pride of ASEAN. His inspirational success has gone beyond our borders,� he said.
At the House, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. joined his colleagues and the nation in congratulating the legendary Filipino boxing hero.
He said Pacquiao�s victory would continue �to keep the hope and inspiration alive in the hearts of every Filipino here and abroad � especially of our youth who emulate him for his discipline, faith and determination.�
�National pride has once again been ignited by the impressive victory of Manny Pacquiao� It is an overwhelming achievement which he holds not just for himself but for every Filipino,� he said. �His defense of the WBO welterweight championship title strengthens his grip as the world�s pound-for-pound king of boxing.�
Belmonte noted that Pacquiao �is the only boxer in the world who is already an eight-division world champion, the first boxer in history to earn ten world titles in eight different weight divisions, and the first boxer in history to win lineal championship in four different weight classes.�
In Maguindanao, thousands of Muslim villagers, among them Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas, watched the fight on television sets brought by soldiers in several barangays inside MILF enclaves in North Cotabato�s adjoining Pikit, Aleosan and Midsayap towns and in Pagalungan, Maguindanao.
The project, a joint initiative of the Army�s 7th and 40th Infantry Battalions and the local government units in the areas within their respective jurisdictions, was meant to complement the cordiality of the12-year-old peace overture between the government and the MILF.
Lt. Col Benjamin Hao, commanding officer of the 7th IB, said they brought their portable power generators and TV sets to selected barangays in Pikit and Pagalungan with prior coordination with local officials and MILF leaders as a public service.
�It was also our way of showing the people that our military is a sector that is more inclined to build cordiality with local communities through diplomatic maneuvers as first option in addressing security issues and concerns,� Hao said.
Armed Forces in high spirits
Meanwhile, the military is now deliberating on what honor to give the Filipino boxer, who is also an Army reservist with a rank of senior master sergeant.
�It�s (Pacquiao�s win) a great victory for the Filipino people and the Filipino nation� Expectedly, Pacquiao will really dominate the fight and he did just that,� said Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., who watched the bout at the Camp Aguinaldo gym in Quezon City.
�With his capability and realizing the other factors relating to the fight, I have no doubt that he is going to win,� he added.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz is hopeful that Pacquiao�s win would motivate all sectors to work for peace.
�As we gathered together and united once again to watch and cheer him for this fight, may his victory also inspire us to unite in other endeavors to finally bring peace and progress to our country,� Ortiz said in a text message.
Oban said they will coordinate with the Army to determine how they can honor the boxing champion once he returns to the Philippines.
�We�ll ask the Philippine Army what they are offering, what recognition we can give Manny Pacquiao when he comes back�We�ll have to ask what appropriate award we would give him following this victory,� he said.
Oban said Pacquiao�s latest achievement served as a morale booster to military personnel.
�Naturally, the morale of our soldiers is high because of that (win). The same is true with the whole Filipino nation,� he said.
Some 10,000 soldiers and their dependents were allowed to watch the bout for free in five different venues in Metro Manila.
Widescreens were installed in the Armed Forces Grandstand and Wellness Center in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City; the Armed Forces Medical Center also in Quezon City; Army headquarters in Taguig; Navy headquarters in Manila; and Villamor Airbase in Pasay. � Jess Diaz, John Unson, Alexis Romero, Rose Tamayo-Tesoro
Mighty Manny shames Shane By Abac Cordero - Manny Pacquiao toiled long and hard for his Showtime return only to find a veteran Shane Mosley on the run for most of the fight, retaining the WBO welterweight belt with a unanimous decision marked by an emphatic third round knockdown here yesterday.
[Photo is loading... Manny Pacquiao lands a punch against Shane Mosley during their WBO welterweight title bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday. AP]
LAS VEGAS � Pacquiao said after the fight he was cautious in the first two rounds until he caught Mosley with a left hook that sent the aging challenger to the floor with more than a minute remaining in the third of their 12-round fight at the MGM Grand. Many thought the fight was over right there and then.
A dazed Mosley tried to get up from the knockdown, as if he didn�t know where he was. But he made it up despite shaky legs, survived the round, and avoided taking his first and only knockout loss in a long and cherished career.
Many thought Pacquiao didn�t actually go for the kill when Mosley looked ready to go. Even in the succeeding rounds, the Filipino icon, who once had the penchant for knockout wins, looked like he was carrying the fight and extending the show for his fans.
Pacquiao said no, he didn�t try to carry the fight.
�If you noticed, after the fourth round, I walked back to my corner and asked my assistant to press my leg because it was tight. I had cramps on my left leg,� said the fighting congressman and the only boxer in history with eight world titles in eight weight classes.
Hours before the fight, Pacquiao figured in a vehicular accident in the vicinity of Mandalay Bay, when the SUV he was riding was struck by one of his security vehicles. Reports said Pacquiao was shaken but unhurt after the minor incident.
�When I knocked him down, I already knew I was stronger than him. I thought I could finish him off. I wanted to fight toe to toe with him. But he ran and ran. He said in training he wanted to fight me toe to toe. That�s why I was surprised,� said Pacquiao.
From the third round, it was clear that Mosley would no longer engage. He opted to run around, keep his distance from Pacquiao, and wait for an opening, probably one tiny mistake from the swinging Filipino champion.
But it didn�t come.
By the sixth round, some of the fans started booing. One male fan from the upper stands could be heard shouting, �Fight! Fight!� because Mosley, who said he came to fight, started running around the ring, not taking any chances, and just fighting to survive.
In the 10th round, Pacquiao hit the canvas on a Mosley push but the referee, Kenny Bayless, ruled it a knockdown. Pacquiao got up so quick and was terribly surprised when it was ruled a knockdown, with a minute left in the round.
It happened so fast that it looked like a knockdown, but several slow motion replays clearly showed that there was no punch landed, but a push that sent the Filipino icon down. One judge scored that round 10-10, another in favor of Pacquiao, and the third for Mosley.
�I was surprised and I got angry,� said Pacquiao, who chased Mosley for the remainder of the round, and for the first time since the third round, he was on the attack. He added that his leg only started feeling a little better by the ninth.
Pacquiao said he never felt that those boos were directed at him.
�I think the people were booing because they wanted to see a good fight and a good exchange. But Mosley didn�t want to fight toe to toe. He was always running. What can I do? I did my best,� said Pacquiao who stretched his winning streak to 14.
Mosley came to the post-fight press conference ahead of Pacquiao. He limped his way inside the packed media center, in gray pants and long-sleeves, with dark shades on. He showed some swelling in his face, and the 12 rounds with Pacquiao made him look 12 years older.
He said he couldn�t fight the fight he wanted because he had blisters in the sixth round, and during the post-fight presscon he admitted that it was a slip by Pacquiao in the 10th round, and so he managed �to win some points.�
The referee approached Pacquiao�s trainer, Freddie Roach, after the fight.
�Kenny came up to me said sorry for the call and that he missed it and he apologized,� said Roach, who wasn�t too happy with the way the fight ended. During training camp, he said it wasn�t going to be an easy fight but maintained that Pacquiao could knock Mosley out.
When the final bell sounded, Pacquiao�s face was not a face of happiness. He shook his head a few times, and when Mosley came up to him to congratulate him, he seemed to have turned his back on the challenger who didn�t turn out as good as advertised.
Pacquiao�s assistant trainer, Buboy Fernandez, grabbed the champion by his waist and lifted him in celebration. But he was in no mood for a victory ride. He wasn�t happy with the victory because later on he said he also wanted to score a knockout.
Pacquiao hasn�t pulled off a stoppage for more than a year, since he stopped Miguel Cotto in the 12th and final round at the MGM in 2009. Last year he won twice, both unanimous decisions against Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.
People are starting to ask themselves. �Is age finally catching up with Pacquiao that he could no longer score knockouts?� or �Is he really too small for the welterweight class, that he can overwhelm his bigger opponents, but not finish them off?�
�I was expecting Shane to fight so we can test each other�s power. But what can I do. He kept on running. It�s not my fault,� he said. Before he got off the ring, he faced the press box, again shaking his head, smirking and did a circling motion with his pointing finger.
�He kept on running around,� was what he meant. �But I�m happy because I won the fight. Like what I said before, my concern is the satisfaction of the people who came to watch. I really don�t care if I hurt my face or suffer bruises as long as the people are happy.�
In the end, yes, the Pacquiao fans, part of the 16,412 that packed the Grand Garden Arena, were happy. To say the least, most of them were happy. But to some, the night would have been sweeter, so much sweeter, if he did knock Mosley out.
�Cramps or no cramps, he should have knocked him out,� said one, who didn�t look happy.
Yes, Shane Mosley made Manny Pacquiao look bad at the MGM last night.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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