BAGUIO CITY-- All eyes shifted in the direction where she made her entry at the Shape Up Boxing Gym inside the Cooyeesan Hotel here.
Eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao was doing his usual pre-training ritual limbering up exercises under the supervision of Marvin Somodio when she entered the gym dressed in striking red blouse with matching black short shorts.
The World Boxing Organization belt-holder waved to her and greeted her as he introduced Somodio: ?Si Alex Ariza,? to which Jinkee retorted: ?Oo nga, lumiit yata.?
Somodio, a local boy who has taken over Ariza?s job by assisting trainer Freddie Roach as conditioning coach, stands barely five-foot-2 to the 5-11 of Ariza, Pacquiao?s strength and conditioning coach who left last week for the U.S.
?Hi, buti napasyal ka? Kelan ka dumating?? this writer said by way of greeting her.
?Siyempre naman dapat nandito ako para bigyan ng suporta ang asawa ko,? she answered. ?Kagabi kami dumating.?
?Kasi lalabas ka mamaya sat v at maraming magtatanong, bakit ka nagpunta ngayon samantalang noong laban kay (Juan Manuel Marquez di ka man lang nagpakita.?
?Ah noon, bising-bisi ako sa mga business namin. At saka ang mga bata, siyempre kailangan kong asikasuhin, mga nag-aaral,? Jinkee, who was so elegant in a Louis Vitton Wedge pair of shoes worth P70,000, said.
?Ngayon, busy din ako sa pagaasikaso ng pinapagawa naming hotel sa General Santos. Kaya lang kailangan nandito ako para nga magkita man lang kami at mabigyan siya ng push,? she explained.
?Construction is almost complete. Baka nga mag-inauguration before we leave for the U.S. para sa laban. The name of the hotel is Road House. Hindi restaurant yun ha, hotel.? she said in jest.
Three gold medal bracelets worth P50,000 each were dangling in her right hand worth P50,000 each and a Hublot watch colored bule worth P1.9 million.
Asked if Pacquiao had really changed as he proclaimed he did, Jinkee retorted: ?Definitely, 101 percent. Bakit, me nalalaman ka pa ba??
?None whatsoever,? this reporter said. ?In fact, he?s been sending me verses in the scripture almost daily. I really believe that ha really had changed. There?s no reason naman not to believe him.?
?Talaga naman. That?s why nga haping happy na ako nowadays,? Jinkee exclaimed. At pati mga anak namin happy din at nakakasama na niya ng matagal unlike before kung saan-saan siya nagpupunta.
What about the cased filed against him, like the BIR thing, etc.?
?Hindi ko iniintindi yun. Those are only distractions aimed at diverting his attention from training,? she said. ?Di mo napapansin, tuwing malapit na ang laban niya saka lumalabas mga yan.?
?He doesn?t mind those things, too. Concentrated lang si Manny sa training nya. And we have people naman who are taking care of those things,? Jinkee remarked.
?What I keep on telling him, is huwag siya mapikon. Kasi pag napikon ka talo ka. Sinisira lang nila ang pagkatao mo at dapat huwag mong hayaan yun,? she added.
?What saddens me lang eh dito pa sa Pilipinas nanggaling ang mga issue,? Jinkee lamented. ?Sinasabi natin si Manny ay National Treasure, Face of the Nation, eh bakit tayo mismo ang nagpapapangit sa mukha ng ating bayan. Nakakalungkot, di ba?
With her as company in her visit at Shape Up are twin sister Janet, mother Rosalinda, confidante and cousin Malou Masangkay, sister?in-law Shealea, Marissa Soriano, Jeric Soriano, sister Hidee Jamora, and sisters-in-law Nene and Lingling Jamora.
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