Pols expected to exploit Pacquiao fight

Sarangani Representative and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Expect some political groups to take advantage of Sunday’s fight between Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao and American boxer Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas, Nevada.

At least 16 barangays in Cebu City will have a free live telecast of the bout, courtesy of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and its supporters.

Nanette Garong, anchor of the blocktime program of BOPK, said “Type O” round girls will  be walking around at the various venues.

Type O is reportedly the new slogan of Representative  Tomas Osmeña, who is running for mayor of Cebu City in the 2013 elections. Huge yellow posters emblazoned with “Type O” have been sprouting at major thoroughfares in  Cebu City.

But Osmeña will not watch the fight in Cebu with his supporters.

He will be with his wife, Councilor Margarita Osmeña, and only son Miguel at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas to watch the fight. Osmeña, who underwent an operation in 2008 to remove a cancerous urinary bladder,  timed his regular check-up in the US with the Pacquiao fight.

As elsewhere in the country, hotels, restaurants, cinemas and coliseums in Cebu will offer live pay-per view telecasts of the fight.

Cebu Coliseum lowered its rate by half compared to the previous fight of the Filipino boxing icon to attract more customers.

Joey Nolasco of the Over Coffee Management, which initiated the pay per view offering at the coliseum, debunked claims that the Pacquiao-Bradley fight did not generate much interest among boxing fans.

“Whoever (Paquiao’s) opponent is, the fight will always draw interest,” Nolasco said.

In Negros Occidental, policemen were on heightened alert as Negrenses are expected flock to different venues in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City to watch the match.

Crime incidence usually drops during Pacquiao’s fights, but just the same Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, Bacolod police director, said they didn’t want to let their guard down.

“Policemen will intensify visibility in areas where the fight will be shown to ensure the safety of the public,” De la Paz said.

One of these places will be the Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports Center, where the city government is sponsoring the show.

De la Paz reminded the public to lock their homes when they go out to watch the fight because thieves may take advantage of the event.

Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental police director, said he ordered all the police stations in the province to coordinate with the Philippine Army and guard all vital installations.

With a report from Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas