First of all, let me greet Filipino boxer Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao for adding to his feather another victory in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas lat Oct. 6 when he dethroned Mexico’s Antonio Barrera, who already retired, without being sent to the canvass.
Pacquiao’s victory meant huge sums of money (in dollars), which could run to millions of pesos, if converted to Philippine currency. Everybody knows how well-off is the Pacman. The truth is that he had already bought palatial homes for his family and even sent his children to Brent International School in Laguna. You can’t just send your children to that international school if you don’t have enough resources to sustain the expenses there.
And everybody knows that Pacquiao is wearing two masks: That of being a humble man and a gambler. Reports showed that he would put a bet of hundreds of thousands of pesos in cockfighting in the Philippines as a means of satisfying his penchant for the game. And sometimes, he would be with known politicians who befriended him probably because of his popularity and money. Nobody knows exactly what the ulterior motive behind this closeness. Then, after winning in Las Vegas, he sponsored a 9-ball billiard game for the Philippines’ best players to compete. At the pot is a million pesos stake to whoever wins the tournament. That was a nice and generous move for the Filipino fighter.
But many people are still longing that someday Pacquiao will think about helping the poor Filipinos. Perhaps, he knew where he came from. He knew where his roots are. They are suggesting that maybe, Pacquiao may spare some of his excess money to the interest of the poor. He can do this by putting up or supporting a livelihood foundation that would benefit the poor Filipinos. This could be his greatest legacy that he would have once he has retired from the boxing arena. As a reminder for Manny: In politics, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. Bay, hoping you will read my blog and fulfill this commitment for the good of the poor and other charitable institutions.