Mayor who carried Pacquiao?s belt earns boos, praises from constituents
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 09 Oct 2007
The man who volunteered to carry and raise the WBC ?international? belt of Manny Pacquiao during the flag ceremony of the ?Will to Win? rumble in Las Vegas last Oct. 7 earned both praises and criticism from his constituents in Bacolod City.
He was Evelio ?Bing? Leonardia, mayor of Bacolod City which is celebrating a month-long Masskara Festival which will culminate on Oct. 21.
Leonardia, who was criticized by an Ilonggo congressman and some sports leaders and journalists in Manila for ?taking away? the ?job? previously held by Lito Mondejar and Moi Lainez, both veteran boxing promoters and backers of Pacquiao, was applauded by a group of boxing fans in a pub house on Burgos-Lacson Sts., Bacolod City when a TV camera caught him raising Pacquaio?s belt while Filipina singer Kyla was singing the Philippine national anthem at the Mandalay Bay and Casino Hotel.
?Yehey! Meyor namon na. Baw ka guapo kay mayor ba! (He is our mayor and he looks handsome),? chorused a group composed of businessmen and young sports enthusiasts watching the ?live? showdown in a giant screen.
?Buenas si Pacquiao kay si Mayor Bing naman ang nag bitbit sang paha ya (It?s a lucky day for Pacquiao because Mayor Bing is the one carrying his belt),? commented Emilio Guanzon who watched the fight together with his family inside the jampacked pub house.
?Ay, kalaw ay a. Meyor ka ma bitbit ka paha. Iya ina ya role sang mga trainer kag alalay sang boksidor ya. Namo man ni si Bing ya man? (He should not carry that belt because he is a mayor. That job is for trainers and assistants)? rued a male spectator who left the place without waiting for the final score of the three judges.
Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella earlier expressed displeasure about the gesture of his one-time political ally saying Leonardia should have joined his fellow mayors in the ringside instead of climbing up the ring holding the belt.
This was the same suggestion given by some of Leonardia?s political critics when he also assumed the same role during Pacquiao?s fight with Oscar Larios at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City two years ago.
Leonardia defended his presence saying he was ?requested? for the job by Pacquiao who is the adopted son of Bacolod City.
Top photo: Bacolod city mayor Evelio Leonardia (L) carries Pacquiao's boxing belt during the singing of the Philippine national anthem by Philippine recording star Kyla (C) before the start of the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Reuters photo.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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