By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
13 Mar 2007
If the reports out of General Santos are true that Manny Pacquiao hardly bothered to watch a tape of Jorge Solis and trainer Buboy Fernandez criticized the fighting style of the undefeated Mexican and virtually said he wouldn’t be a problem, then it confirms initial reports that promoter Bob Arum was handing Pacquiao a patsy.
Whatever it is Pacquiao has apparently been working hard in the stifling heat of the ABAP Gym while also finding time to pursue his congressional bid by meeting with barangay leaders, attending oath taking ceremonies and generally doing what certified politicians normally do. That’s fine because, as we said before, its his right to run for public office if he chooses to and we cannot impose our will on him although we share the disappointment of millions that he decided to enter politics at a time when his career is at its peak.
But, as an aspiring public official we sincerely hope that Pacquiao will be different. And that means following the law, not breaking it. We raise the issue following reports that he is being paid some P40 million for the free TV and perhaps other ancillary rights for his fight against Solis. That is a lot of money way beyond the $30,000 TV rights when he was IBF junior featherweight champion. Of course Pacquiao is now the most exciting fighter in the world and No.1 in terms of the best fighter pound-for-pound and because of his exploits in the ring probably deserves what he gets.
However, we believe that in fairness to the countrymen he always says he is fighting for and his pronounced love for our country then, as WBC founding secretary general, the eminent lawyer Rudy Salud points out , he expects Pacquiao to do his duty and declare the correct income and pay the corresponding taxes since he has been cited by the BIR in the past as a model. More so since his fight against Solis is on April 14, one day before the tax filing deadline.
Every hardworking Filipino whose comparatively meager incomes are drained of what is due the Bureau of Internal Revenue through the withholding tax system has a right to demand that in this respect at least the BIR treats Pacquiao as any other simple Filipino. That should make millions of taxpayers feel good.
Beyond the P40 million bonanza and the minimum $2 million purse looms the reality, as admitted by Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin “Jing” Gacal, that part of the income will go into Pacquiao’s congressional campaign. We can only hope that in this respect he will set a worthy example by not resorting to the despicable tactic of using his money to buy votes.
Gacal told us that the report about the P40 million was “tsismis” or gossip but we have it on good authority that Pacquiao who was supported by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN in his recent endeavors at substantial cost – although the network almost surely recovered its expenses with a plus like any business enterprise would do – had been left out in the cold by the Solar Sports offer. In fact we understand that Pacquiao informed ABS-CBN that he wanted the huge amount and that Solar Sports was in GenSan waiting for him to put pen to paper like he’s done so many times in the past when the price was right.
Recent history proves the point. After signing a seven-fight deal with Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya and collecting $500,000 with $250,000 in cold cash which is what Pacquiao wanted according to celebrated trainer Freddie Roach, two months later he signed another four-year contract with Top Rank’s Bob Arum for $1 million which was paid by check – not cash – as though it makes that much of a difference in the methods used to “lure” Pacquiao as one American writer put it.
The handlers of Pacquiao cannot dismiss the taxman from their door by claiming the P40 million deal is mere gossip. They’ll have to do better than that.
