Aetas walked for hours to get to TV showing of Pacquiao fight

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Some 1,000 people in Barangay (village) Pulong Santol in Porac town, Pampanga gathered to watch the rematch between Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao and American Timothy Bradley via pay-per-view showing sponsored by local officials.

Domingo Ponce said the Filipino boxer “did everything he could to win.”

Village watchman Ben Lampa said Pacquiao was “already a winner in Round 10.”

Nimfa Ferrer, a housewife, said she was happy for Pacquiao’s victory although the latter did not knock out Bradley.

Tristan Roque, 10 years old, said Pacquiao’s latest win has all the more inspired him to take boxing as a career. “Pacman’s my idol,” he said.

No members of the Aeta tribe came down from Porac’s uplands to watch the fight in Pulong Santol this time. The intense heat must have kept them away, village leaders said.

But Roman King, an Aeta from Barangay Inararo in Porac, said he and a group of fellow Aeta walked for about two hours to Barangay Sapang Bato in Angeles City, some 30 kilometers away from their village, to watch the delayed telecast of the fight on TV.

“We were around 50 Aetas viewing the fight. [Pacquiao is] our idol. We want to see him in person,” said King.

International boxing referee Bruce McTavish said Pacquiao fought a “smart fight.”  But McTavish said he was not sure how long Pacquiao would have strength in his punch or sustain his knockout power.

In Baguio City, fight fans gathered outside a shopping mall that featured the live telecast of the fight over a giant screen on Abanao Street here.

Traffic slowed down as early as 10 a.m. on Naguilian and Abanao Roads because of the crowd, which spilled over the street. People also occupied the ledges of neighboring buildings and virtually took over the closest pedestrian overpass for hours. The crowd broke into cheers when Pacquiao was declared the winner at about 1 p.m.

In Nueva Ecija province, tricycle passengers in the Science City of Muñoz complained that there was not available vehicle to bring them to their destinations on Sunday morning. The drivers were seen watching the fights in television sets in barber shops and some big establishments in the city.

Irenio Bucsit Jr., 27, a teacher at the Muñoz National High School, said despite Pacquiao’s age, he proved that he was sharper than Bradley.

“It was sweet revenge for Pacquiao,” Bucsit said.  Farmer Virgilio Gazmin, 57, said this victory was sweeter for Pacquiao because it proved that the Filipino was the true champion.

Rudy Salvador, a farmer from Barangay Singalat in Palayan City, said he never doubted Pacquiao would win the rematch.

Salvador was among hundreds of residents of Palayan who watched the fight in an air-conditioned conference center at the City Hall compound.

Mayor Adrianne Cuevas said beyond entertainment and sports, the fight reaffirmed Pacquiao’s brand of heroism that every Filipino should emulate.

“He showed the virtue of working hard for great cause,” she said.

In Isabela province, the city governments of Ilagan, Santiago and Cauayan provided free viewing of the live telecast of the fight.

In Bataan province, businessman Bong Talastas, 58, of Balanga City, was unconvinced that Pacquiao gave his all in beating Bradley.

“It seems that somebody is controlling his moves to prevent Bradley from being knocked out. For the benefit of the orchestrator, the moro-moro (staged) show must go on,” Talastas said.

(Reports from Tonette Orejas, Anselmo Roque, Armand Galang and Greg Refraccion, Inquirer Central Luzon, and Richard Balonglong and Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon)

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