FORMER PRES. ESTRADA SUGGESTS LONGER REST PERIOD FOR PACQUIAO
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 20 Jan 2013
MANILA(PNA) - There are certain things that shouldn?t happen. One, for instance, shouldn?t light a cigarette while filling gas in his tank at a service station or drive under the influence.
For former President Joseph ?Erap? Estrada, Manny Pacquiao?s handlers shouldn?t allow the Filipino boxing icon to fight four months after suffering from a devastating knockout loss to Mexican idol Juan Manuel Marquez last December 8.
Erap, in joining host of others who expressed the same sentiment, appealed to those who manage Pacquiao?s boxing career to take it easy and allow the eight-division belt owner to fully recover from the worst defeat of his fighting life.
?Pati naman si Manny ay tinatawagan ko ng pansin. Huwag siyang magmadaling lumabang muli para iganti ang kanyang pagkatalo. (He should not be in a hurry to fight again to avenge his loss.) There are still many fights before he decides eventually hand his gloves. Relax lang muna,? Estrada told this writer in a chance interview last Thursday.
?I just hope that this words of mine reach him. Sana makinig siya doon sa mga taong walang hangad kundi ang kanyang kabutihan at huwag doon sa ang gusto lamang ay kumita ng limpak limpak na salapi na makukuha sa kanyang mga laban? the former Chief of State added. ?Alam kong napakaraming nakapaligid na nagpapayo sa kanya. And I also know that there are many in his team na talagang kabutihan ang hangad para sa kanya.?
?Me, I believe he can bounce back from that loss. Matapang si Manny, may dugong tunay na Pilipino. Walang kinatatakutan,? Erap averred with pride in his eyes. ?He has done a lot of good things para sa bansa at sa salitang Pilipino. He is now the face of our nation. Wherever you go if pag nalaman ng mga dayuhan na Pilipino ka, si Manny agad ang iispin nila.?
?I experienced that whenever I?m abroad. Of course, people recognize me as a former Philippine President,? he recalled, ?Pero idudugtong nila agad pangalan ni Manny. Kukumustahin siya at babanggitin agad ang mga katangian niya. Ako naman, siyempre sasabihin kong as a Pilipino, Manny belongs to our great Malaya race.?
Erap, in whose term as the country?s Chief Executive the Sports Hall of Fame law was approved and the bill creating the Athletes and Coaches Incentives Law , was filed by then Sen. Robert Jaworski, local basketball?s living legend, Pacquiao can do many things more to help alleviate the living conditions of poor Filipinos.
?Napakarami pang gustong gawin si Manny as a public servant. I can feel that through his body language,? Erap noted. ? Noon pa mang nasisimula pa lamang siyang sa boksing, nasa Senado pa lamang ako hanggang maging Bise Presidente at Presidente, nasabi na niya yun noong humihingi siya ng tulong sa akin ang mga adhikain niya. Kaya nga noon pa lamang hanga na ako sa kanya.?
?What I can only advise him now is for him to stay healthy. Magagawa lamang lahat ng advocacy mo kung mananatili kang malusong ka at malakas ang pangangatawan. Kahit wala ka na sa boksing, matutupad mo lahat. Puede mo pa ngang ituloy ang paga-artista mo,? Estrada said.
?Marami kang talent. Tulad ko, pogi ka rin, he? he ? joke lang. Kidding aside, I believe in your capacity to do things to help our kababayan. Kongresista ka na at baka maging senador, bise president at Pangulo. Keep up the good works,? the former President said.
?As I said, Manny should choose those who to listen to from among his many so-called friends and allies,? he said. ?Losing via knockout is one of the worst things that can happen to a boxer. At mas masakit ang matalong muli pagkatapos ma- KO. Huwag naman sana nilang gawin ang ganoon sa kanya para lamang kumita.?
?Napakabuting tao ni Manny. Napakabait lalo na sa mahihirap na kababayan niyang tulad niya noong una. Bukod sa napakahusay niyang boksingero, ito ang mga dahilan kaya naman napamahal siya sa napakaramning tao, hindi lamang dito sa atin kundi maging sa ibang bansa man.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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