GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Boxing superstar Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao has filed a P30-million libel suit against four journalists of the Manila Bulletin.

Named respondents in the case were Manila Bulletin's sports writer Nick Giongco, publisher Hermogenes P. Pobre, editor-in-chief Cris J. Icban Jr., and Sports section editor Ding Marcelo.

Pacquiao filed the complaint around 3 p.m. Monday before the City Prosecutor's Office here.

The complaint stemmed from the article "Trouble in Paradise-Again?" written by Giongco and published last July 25 in F-2 sports section of the Manila Bulletin.

The Filipino boxing icon viewed as libelous the fourth paragraph of said article, an excerpt of which read "Pacquiao who spent millions in unsuccessful bid to win a congressional seat in his hometown in General Santos City is reported to be a compulsive gambler and is known to bet hundreds of thousand in casinos, cockfighting, and billiards."

Pacquiao used as exhibit "A" in his complaint a photocopy of said article.

He further argued in his complaint sheet that the article was published with the purpose of "attacking his virtue and reputation" thereby exposing him to public hatred, contempt, shame and ridicule.?

The same story, the boxer claimed, pictured him as an unprofessional person who fails to meet his obligations to his business partners in United States for his forthcoming boxing bout on October 6 due to domestic problems by reason of his extracurricular activities.

Pacquiao said he has a name and reputation to protect as he was a boxing icon who has been cited as Fighter of the Year in the US by American boxing sports writers, the first Asian to win such an award in 82 years; a much-sought commercial endorser of various products, including Nike; and a chair and majority stockholder of MP Promotions, a new business entity in boxing.

He claimed that the publication of such a story had no factual and legal basis, has caused him ?serious anxieties, sleepless nights, social humiliation, wounded feelings and besmirched reputation.?

Pacquiao is asking P30 million in moral damages, P1 million in exemplary damages, and another P1 million in attorney's fees.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net, tried but failed to contact Pacquiao's legal adviser Jeng Gacal on his phone.

Chief City Prosecutor Edilberto Jamora said he could not yet give a copy of such complaint as he still has to go over it.