“I DON’T mind them. What’s important to me is my relationship with my family and the Lord,” Manny Pacquiao told Balitang America Las Vegas Correspondent Bev Llorente, when asked about his reaction to issues raised against him by his critics.
One issue is not having enough time for boxing since joining the Philippine Basketball Association as a playing coach.
More important than this sports issue perhaps is his being an absentee Congressman. Critics say he has not been able to fulfill his sacred duty as an elected official because of the time he needs to invest in boxing, coaching and yes, entertaining.
The Pambansang Kamao was also slammed for agreeing to train Chinese boxers in the middle of the Philippines’ territorial dispute against China. “Traidor” is how other deemed him to be.
In San Francisco, Pacquiao told Balitang America Correspondent Rommel Conclara that this he has everything under control, as this is just a matter of time management.
In Las Vegas, Bev Llorente reported how Pacquiao’s Hall of famer coach Freddie Roach came to his ward’s defense, assuring that even with the Pacman’s hectic schedule, the fighting Congressman is ready for the upcoming match against Chris Algieri on November 22.
“Once we start the training for the fight, that’s all we are doing,” Roach told Llorente. “There is no distraction whatsoever.”
Llorente said on her Balitang America report that Pacquiao did not directly address rumors that he is running out of money because of his tax woes.
Many among the Fil-Am community members, including US Pinoys for Good Governance President Atty. Rodel Rodis, speculated that this may be the reason why Pacquiao inked a deal with China.
As Bev Llorente reported, Pacquiao just said that his legal team is handling his taxes.
We can rwcall that just last year — days after his victorious fight against Brandon Rios in Macau — the Bureau of Internal Revenue froze some of Pacquiao’s hard earned money.
“Hindi na ako makabalik dito sa America kung hindi ako nagbabayad ng tax,” Pacquiao told Llorente.
“Honest naman tayong nagbabayad pagka wala kang ginagawang masama, wala kang dapat katakutan. May mga batas naman tayo atsaka yung kato tohanan will always prevail.”
But when he was in New York City after making history as the first Filipino boxer to ring the New York Stock Exchange bells at the end of trading day last Thursday, Pacquiao — for the first time — explained why and how he is using the money he will earn from his controversial training of Chinese boxers gig.
He told Balitang America New York Correspondent Don Tagala that he wants to build boxing gyms all over the Philippines.
“Hindi ko kasi in-announce na marami akong pinapatayong gym sa Mindanao, boxing gym tinutulungan ko yung mga youth natin, ay siyempre hindi ko naman magagawa na buong Pilipinas na sarili kong pera ang ginagagastos,” Pacquiao said.
“Mabuti pa huwag silang masyadong magdadada, tapos tululungan na lang nila ako.” Pacquiao said, challenging his detractors.
Enough said?
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
