JINKEE SAW MANNY UNRETIRING, BUT NOT THIS EARLY
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 09 Oct 2016
Ex-Sarangani Vice Gov. Jinkee, Fighting Senator Manny Pacquiao's better half, saw it coming, that her ring icon husband will unretire.
But not as early as barely four months after announcing his decision last April following the eight-division champ's impressive unanimous verdict win over then World Boxing Orgnization welterweight belt owner Timothy Bradley.
"Yeah, we were expecting that, myself, our children. We knew, even on the day of the announcement, that it won't be easy for Manny to completely turn his back on the life he grew up with," Jinkee confessed in a conversation with this writer last Thursday when he visited and watched her Fighter of the Decade-husband, with youngest son Israel in tow, trained in preparation for his coming November 5 encounter with current WBO titleholder Jessie Vargas.
"But not that so short a time naman," Jinkee quipped. "We were just starting to enjoy living together without thinking of boxing. And I'm sure ganoon din siya. "Di ba sabi niya noon sa media, let him enjoy the life of retirement?"
"Now, after only four months here he goes again, training for a fight," she exclaimed. "Before, he used to start training in General Santos bago magtuloy sa U.S. Kaya kahit papaano nagkakasama kami pag-uwi nya ng bahay."
"But now, four or five weeks pa before the fight, dito siya nag-train sa Maynila malayo sa amin, sa mga bata," the former Sarangani Vice Governor remarked.
"Hinahanap na siya ni Baby Israel (the two-year-old youngest of the couple's brood of five). Kaya sinama ko na siya. The other four (Jimwell, Michael, Princess and Queenie) naiwan kasi may pasok sa school."
The two elder boys and the two girls, she added would've been happy joining the visit to their father, but couldn't because of their studies.
Jinkee assured though that she and their children don't have any misgiving for what happened, they're, nevertheless, consoled in the thought that the 'Fighter of the Year' is happy returning to the sport that earned for him the honor and respect of the entire world.
"Masaya kaming lahat kapag masaya si Manny. And one of the things that make him happy is that of making people happy. Not only Filipinos but people all over the world," Jinkee narrated. "And Manny finds satisfaction on that in boxing."
"As he often told me he has nothing to offer to make people happy but boxing. Sabi pa nya ang atin daw mga kababayan mapasasaya nya in the form of government service which he is doing now. Paano naman daw yung ibang tao sa mundo, the former beauty queen recalled. So, there he is fighting again."
Also occupying much of her husband's time, according to Jinkee, are his duties as member of the Upper House.
"Instead kasi na makaka-uwi sa GenSan during non-session days and weekends, he has to attend committee hearings and other events in relation to his being a senator. But then, again, love nya ang trabaho sa senado. Wala pa nga daw absent eh," she said smiling.
"Napalitan na nga yata ng public service ang second love nyang sport, ang basketball," she said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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