EXPECT fewer jeepneys in the streets today as drivers take a break to watch the much-awaited fight between Filipino boxing hero Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao and Mexican legend Erik ?El Terrible? Morales.
Some drivers said they would rather join the millions of Filipinos who will be glued to their TV sets than ply their routes to find the streets empty.
When Morales and Pacquiao fought last January, the drivers spent for gasoline covering routes devoid of commuters.
?Mamasada ta nga wala may tawo. Maglaway lang mi magtan-aw anang mga tawo nga manan-aw ug T.V. daplin sa dalan.
Maayo pa mo-relax ug kadiyot makakita pa ta ni Pacquiao (Why go out when there are no people in the streets? We only get distracted by those watching the fight by the road. It would be better to rest a while and also watch),? said driver Jerry Calinawan, who ferries passengers from Labangon to Colon St.
The fight, dubbed the Grand Finale after Morales won over Pacquiao in their first encounter last year and lost via 10th round knockout in their second meeting, will be televised live.
?Adtong January ang mga tawo naa tanan sa T.V nagtan-aw. Kana si Pacquiao makapaalkansi na namo (Last January, all people were glued to their TV sets. Pacquaio made us lose earnings that day),? said another driver plying the Bulacao-Colon route.
Meanwhile, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) reminded all personnel to sustain visibility and not to abandon their posts to watch the grudge match.
Acting CCPO Director Melvin Gayotin told Sun.Star Cebu that policemen will be deployed in areas where there will be live pay-per-view telecasts, particularly at the New Cebu Coliseum, which offers the lowest-priced tickets.
An 18- by 45-foot projector was installed at the coliseum for those who paid P200 for ?ringside? seats and P100 for upper and lower boxes.
Ayala Cinema 4 also opens at 8 a.m. today for those who shelled out P500 each.
Four SM movie theaters likewise suspended its regular features for the telecast at P500 for premier seats and P400 for deluxe accommodation.
Sales were brisk, as each ticket comes with fee snacks and drinks.
SM Mall will also show for free via an installed wide screen ABS-CBN?s delayed telecast at 10 a.m. at the food court?s entertainment plaza.
Boxing fans can also watch the live telecast at Royal Concourse for P288 per person, with buffet lunch.
Drivers who take time off the streets for the fight, however, would be hard-pressed to pay rent because there are operators who would still collect the agreed amounts.
Nagkahiusang Driver sa Sugbo (Nadsu) chairman Antonio Pogado said that while some, who likewise enjoyed Morales and Pacquiao?s second match, were lenient enough, others demanded the correct rent.
There are operators who extended by two hours the use of their units so the drivers could recoup the hours lost watching Morales and Pacquiao slugging it out.
?Depende man gud na kon magkasabot ang driver ug operator. Instead of 16 hours ang limit gitagaan mi ug 18 hours para makatan-aw ni Pacquiao (The drivers and operators could agree that instead of 16 hours, the jeepneys are rented for 18 hours)? he said.
Drivers with strict operators, though, would go home with a reduced income. The average jeepney rental rate is P500 and P700 for taxicabs.
Yesterday, bets as cheap as a case of beer to as much as P100,000 were already made.
Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIIB) Chief Pablo Labra II advised his men to avoid betting on the fight.
And while many are looking for tickets to see how their bets go, one person whom Sun.Star Cebu interviewed said he wanted to watch to show his support for Pacquiao.
He said Pacquiao?s fight has united the Filipino people.
Not all, though, are rooting for the Filipino boxer.
A Cebu City policeman dislikes Pacquiao because of his alleged gambling, such as joining gamecock derbies.
?Dili siya maayo nga ehemplo tungod sa iyang pagkasugarol. Wala pud ko kadungog nga iya nang gi-share iyang kwarta sa foundation (He is not a good role model because he is a gambler. I have yet to hear also that he shared his money with foundations),? he said. (AIV/JST)
