Manny Pacquiao —RAFFY LERMA
Quickly shifting gears after defeating American Jessie Vargas by unanimous decision in Las Vegas on Sunday, Sen. Manny Pacquiao rushed home to get back to legislative work and was feted by his colleagues and legislative staff for scoring a victorious comeback to the ring.
“The bruises are still apparent on my face, but I don’t mind it, just to bring joy to my countrymen and bring honor to our country,” Pacquiao said, taking to the Senate floor to thank the joyous reception at the session on Tuesday afternoon.
Making good on his promise
The Senate passed a resolution commending Pacquiao, noting his diligence in making good on his promise to attend to his legislative duties even while undergoing rigorous training for the World Boxing Organization title bout.
The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, cited how Pacquiao has been able to juggle Senate work with the demands of his training.
“He juggled his training with his duties as legislator of this august chamber, and I want to tell the people that he was never absent, not at any time, in these last few months while training for his fight with Mr. Vargas,” said Zubiri in his speech, noting how Pacquiao has been “very active” in the chamber.
“In the Senate, there are a lot of mental challenges and these challenges can be taxing to one’s body that’s why I salute him…he still has the time and the effort of training hard to win championship fights,” he said.
He emphasized Pacquiao’s feat: “The first sitting senator to win a boxing title.”
Greater passion
In response, Pacquiao thanked his colleagues and the Filipino nation for the support.
“This is dedicated to all boxing fans and all of you who believe in me,” said Pacquiao, whose entry into the Senate was met by skepticism following his dismal performance as a member of the House of Representatives.
“Boxing is my passion. I come fully alive in the ring. But I have a greater passion: to serve our country. My heartbeat is for our countrymen,” said the senator.
“There are bigger problems we need to confront, more complicated issues we need to clarify,” he said.
Pacquiao decided to donate his title belt to the Senate as a gesture of gratitude.