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Pacquiao: naturally intelligent but clueless...can still withdraw his bid for a congressional seat

By Granville Ampong
for California Examiner, Nevada Examiner and PhilBoxing.com




HOLLYWOOD, California - Call it a mockery at Congress. But, it's almost close to it!

In an exclusive interview today by this writer, Monsignor Roger Fuentes, the rector and professor of the Seminary College at the University of San Carlos in Cebu, Philippines, expressed his concerns about Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao's foray into politics. His overtones speak volume of sincerity from a man who believes Pacquiao will only "promote division" in the lone district of Sarangani in which he is vying for the congressional seat this coming May 10 elections.

"Pacquiao's stance should be for unity since that's what he has always been campaigning for each time he fights in the boxing arena," said the religious reformator who sat down with this writer in a private party at Ronnie and Grace Pomar's residence in Culver City.

The said cleric visits California to grace the annual fiesta celebration of Senior Santo Niño at the St. Agustine Church in Culver City, which took place last Saturday.

"No doubt, he is naturally intelligent. But, the intricacy of a congressional seat requires academic intelligence, which Pacquiao does not have nor does he have that par with Roy Chongbian, who is also running for the same seat from the Chongbian dynasty that reigns in the province of Sarangani for over two decades now," the cleric added.

Monsignor Fuentes said, "They said if Pacquiao's budget for his congressional bid is P1 billion, the Chongbians said they are ready to match it by P2-billion."

"So Pacquiao's best option is to withdraw his candidacy," he added.

"Some of Pacquiao's sycophants and some of local 'pretenders' or some 'defectors' from the camp of Chongbian must be ready to get rich instantly as I am sure they have already laid out plans to pocket Pacquiao's millions," said Ricky Gavini, one of the active participants during the interview.

"Pacquiao is clueless," he added.

Meanwhile, in another exclusive interview via Facebook's private chatline, Congresswoman Jocelyn Limkaichong, who toppled the more than  20-year old political dynasty of the Paras bloodlines in the first district of Oriental Negros, remains numbed when asked by this writer to suggest as to what strategy must Filipino Boxing Superstar Manny Pacquio adopt in order to snatch the congressional seat in the lone district of Sarangani from the Chongbian dynasty.

But, she otherwise suggested as well that Pacquiao should just withdraw his candidacy.

"If truly Manny Pacquiao has sincere and concerned friends, then they should advise him not to run for the congressional seat," said the daughter of business tycoon, Don Julio Sy.

Limkaichong, who had no mayors or barangay captains, except in the town of La Libertad where she served as mayor, overwhelmingly won over the wife of former, outgoing Congressman Jacinto Paras, Olivia Paras, and also over three-time former Congressman Jerry Paras who reigned just when the first Edsa Revolution transpired in 1986 until mid-nineties, also the brother of the same who ran concurrently for the same position and in the same district of Oriental Negros in 2007 elections. Thus, Limkaichong's easy rise to congress was an unprecedented victory against a well-entrenched political clan.

On the other hand, Limkaichong believes Pacquiao is more effective by just simply being who he is ...the world's greatest pound for pound boxing champion.

"He has made the Filipino nation truly proud of his achievements in sports...and let it remain that way!" she added.

Meanwhile, Limkaichong's priority projects form the acronym, Heart—health, education, agriculture, roads, trade and tourism.

In the intervening time, health is Limkaichong's first priority. She organizes weekly medical missions to her district. At the same time, she has put in P3.2 million in the different specialty hospitals in Manila and Cebu to take care of medical needs which require advanced treatment. These include the Vicente Sotto Medical Center in Cebu, the Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Children’s National Hospital and Lung Center of the Philippines.

Limkaichong implies in her brief message that Pacquiao can do more of what his heart wants without getting into politics, banking on the latter's lack of credentials and education to tackle the legislative role of a congressman.

On the other hand, former Sarangani Gov. Priscilla Chiongbian said to this writer via telephone Friday the family has chosen Roy Chiongbian, a top executive of Eastern Shipping Lines and said to be the “gatekeeper” of the vast Chiongbian business empire involved in shipping, real estate, agri-business and others, as their official candidate for Congress come May 10, in the province.

"The anointment of Roy reportedly has the “blessings” and full-backing of the leaders, supporters and loyalists of the Chiongbians," she added.

In another related development, the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, according to inside report to this writer, may give full support to Roy Chongbian, the anointed successor of third-termer, incumbent Congressman Erwin Chongbian, to run against Pound -for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao for the congressional contest in Sarangani. No word has been heard as of this press time from the President of the said giant organization, Dr. Antonio A. Uy.

This Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. has been a moving force in leading the Chinese-Filipino community to contribute to the economic growth and social development and also has been regarded as one of the key organic forces in shaping up the political dispensation of the legislative bodies, both upper and lower houses, considering the usual financial draw of investments it shares and acquires for the development of the Philippine economy.

Even then, Pacquiao already tried his luck in the first district of South Cotabato on May 17, 2007. But, he suffered a lopsided defeat to incumbent representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio, with a deficit of approximately 37,000 votes according to National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), a counterpart of the Philippine Government's Commission on Elections that serves as an organizational machinery for the electorate themselves to get involved in the electoral process and to protect the sanctity of the ballot so that the people's collective will could prevail over election frauds, intimidation and other dirty tactics.

Custodio had 139,061 votes, whereas Pacquiao received 75,908 votes, according to the official count by the Commission on Elections.

Pacquiao is on high gear of his training in Los Angeles, California for his March 13 bout against Joshua Clottey of Ghana for the WBO Welter Weight Championship at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The said bout is hurriedly set by Top Rank, as scheduled, after the fiasco of Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations, in due course of the campaign period for the May 10, 2010 Philippine Elections.

Top photo: Monsignor Fuentes (R) with the author.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Granville Ampong.

NEW YORK, Jan. 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The January 12 quake in Haiti killed more than 150,000 people in Port-au-Prince alone, Haiti Culture and Communication Minister Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue said on Sunday.

She referred to the Haiti services searching for quake victims and burying them in common graves.

The minister said no one knew precisely how many people, 200,000 or 300,000, were buried under the quake debris.

Chances to find survivors are close to zero 12 days after the devastating tremor. Yet a miracle happened on Saturday, as rescuers retrieved a 23-year-old man blocked under hotel ruins. French doctors gave him medical aid. The young man’s condition is satisfactory.

Haiti authorities announced the end of the search operation. Nevertheless, dozens of teams keep digging in search for possible survivors.

Russian rescuers have completed their mission in quake-stricken Haiti and are returning to Moscow, a source at the Emergency Situations Ministry told Itar-Tass on Friday.

Two Ilyushin Il-76 planes of the ministry departed from Port-au-Prince on Friday and arrived in Moscow on Saturday afternoon. The planes were carrying rescuers and dog handlers, who had been clearing the debris in Haiti for the past week. In all, the rescuers examined 140 square meters of flattened buildings and retrieved nine survivors from under the debris.

Meanwhile, the ministry hospital keeps working in Port-au-Prince. The mobile hospital has given aid to over 400 people, including 83 children, and has done dozens of surgeries.

The mobile hospital has intensive care, surgery, diagnostic, ultrasonic and X-ray units and a blood laboratory. It can operate autonomously for up to two weeks and receive 100-120 patients per day.

Eight doctors of the Centrospas unit of the Emergency Situations Ministry and the Zashchita emergency medicine center came to Haiti from Moscow. They have delivered food, medicines and supplies the hospital needs for 15 days of operation.

Locals welcomed the mobile hospital, as many health care institutions in Port-au-Prince were damaged by the earthquake and the remaining clinics were unable to give aid to all victims.

Russian doctors provide both medical aid and drinking water and food to Haiti residents.

Russian psychologists have given aid to 476 people. Symptoms are traditional for such cases – sleep and eating disorders, fears and behavioral problems, ministry psychologist Irina Yeliseyeva said.

The mobile hospital will stay in Haiti for another ten to 14 days.

Rescuers from the United States, Spain and Norway have completed their missions, as well. Tents, instruments and other property have been loaded into planes, and food and drinking water is given to medical teams staying on the island.

There are a dozen of foreign field hospitals in Port-au-Prince. The local authorities have selected sites for six stationary hospitals, which will open soon.

Yet it is impossible to bring supplies to local residents and to protect them from looters within the Port-au-Prince limits.

It was decided on Thursday to evacuate about 400,000 Port-au-Prince residents to tent camps on the city perimeter.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is now delivering daily meals to some two million Haitians, the UN news service said on Saturday.

WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran, currently visiting Haiti, issued a statement on Saturday in which she said the agency would keep expanding its existing relief efforts through five established humanitarian corridors.

An estimated two million people received meals yesterday courtesy of WFP, up from 1.2 million the day before.

WFP has been coordinating its relief effort with the UN peacekeeping mission (known as MINUSTAH), the Haitian Government and other aid partners, including the United States and the European Union.

"I have been encouraged to find genuine cooperation and coordination," Sheeran said. "This will allow us to knit together the operation over the coming weeks, in a way that will ensure every Haitian who needs assistance, gets it."

"Parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, look worse than many war zones," Sheeran said, urging the international community to support relief and assistance efforts "for many months to come."

On Friday night WFP and the UN Children''s Fund (UNICEF) were among seven aid agencies or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to benefit from the Hope for Haiti Now benefit telethon.

Dozens of actors, musicians and other performers took part in the benefit, held in Los Angeles, New York and London, to raise funds for quake victims. All proceeds raised will be split among the seven relief groups.

One of the organizers, UN Messenger of Peace and actor-director George Clooney, told the telethon audience that "the Haitian people need our help. They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that we still care."

Actor Matt Damon and actor-director Clint Eastwood also paid tribute to the UN staff who died in the quake. At least 70 staff were killed, while over 100 others remain unaccounted for, the UN news service said.

About three million Haiti residents need assistance, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said earlier.

There are security problems, too, as about 4,000 inmates broke free in the quake.

As relief efforts continue, Ban emphasized the need to rebuild the impoverished Caribbean nation and “turn disaster into opportunity.”

The international community must help the Haitian Government reconstitute itself, restore basic services and jump-start the economy, he said.

“Haiti’s recovery must begin with its people – strong, resilient and impatient to get to work rebuilding their lives and their country,” the Secretary-General said.

“And we need to provide jobs, not only to those who lost their jobs last week, but to the millions of Haitians who did not have a job in the first place,” he emphasized.

“The people of Haiti are not looking for handouts,” the Secretary-General, who visited the country last Sunday, said.

The UN has launched a cash-for-work program to “help Haitians help themselves” by paying them to clear rubble from the street, distribute urgently-needed aid and build camps for those made homeless by the quake, Ban said.

“Haiti has never been more in need,” he said.

Filipino, Philippines "Dancing Inmates" from Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), a maximum security prison.

Image by FlamingText.com

 COUNTDOWN TO MAY 10, 2010

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