Filipinos celebrate Pacquiao’s latest victory

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos nationwide Sunday rejoiced over boxing hero Manny Pacquiao’s latest victory, broadcast live from Texas, after officials vowed that the Philippines would be spared its perennial blackouts.

Special live coverage of the 12-round fight between Pacquiao and Ghana’s Joshua Clottey was broadcast without a hitch after energy officials vowed to prevent power shortages interrupting the event.

“If people don’t get to watch Manny Pacquiao, it’s big trouble. That is a national catastrophe,” Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes was quoted in the Philippine Star as saying.

“The nation again rejoices with and congratulates the people’s champion, Manny Pacquiao, on another victory for the Philippines,” President Arroyo, in a statement released via Press Secretary Crispulo Icban, said.

“We take heart in Manny’s proven formula of unselfish patriotism and unyielding perseverance. Sa pagkakaisa at pagsisikap, nagwaging muli si Manny para sa bayan. Ito rin ang ating landas tungo sa tagumpay ng sambayanan. Mabuhay si Manny Pacquiao!” she said.

“Once again, the officers, men and civilian employees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, led by the AFP Chief of Staff General Delfin Bangit, are very proud of its very own Senior Master Sergeant Manny Pacquiao, a reservist of the Philippine Army, for his victory against Joshua Clottey,” a press release from the Armed Forces of the Philippines said.

“Pacquiao continues to be a hero and an inspiration to our troops, especially those who are fighting against the various threats to national security and development. Despite the odds, the fighting spirit of the Filipino sodier as embodied in Manny, prevailed,” it said.

Sen. Manuel Villar, whose bid for the presidency Pacquiao is endorsing, also released a statement on his win.

“Ang karangalang paulit-ulit nang ibinigay sa ating bansa ni Manny Pacquiao ay patunay lamang na walang balakid kailanman ang maaaring humadlang sa taong masidhing nagpupunyagi, isang taong may sipag at tiyaga,” Villar was quoted as saying.

“Isang halimbawa si Manny na kaya nating talunin ang kahirapan, na magaling ang Pilipino, at karapat-dapat lamang na kilalanin ng buong mundo. Mabuhay ka, Manny!” Villar added.

“Manny has once again made us proud. More importantly, he has shown us what good old-fashioned hard work and determination can achieve,” Senator Loren Legarda, Villar’s running mate, said in a statement.

After the fight, there were no signs of any of the daily outages that have afflicted the capital and the southern Philippines for several weeks.

Pacquiao, who is considered a national hero at home, easily defeated Clottey by a unanimous decision after 12 rounds to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight title at the Cowboys Stadium.

In an interview with a local radio station after the fight, Pacquiao said: “I owe this to all my fellow Filipinos, most of all to my family.”

Pacquiao’s next bout will be even more of a challenge, when he runs for Congress in the May elections, seeking to represent a district on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Despite his fame, Pacquiao has tasted defeat in this arena before. In 2007 he lost his first bid for a seat in Congress, and faces an equally entrenched opponent this time around.

• ABS-CBN News