The brass band reserved for the arrival of visiting dignitaries waited in vain for Manny Pacquiao at Manila City Hall until late yesterday afternoon. The former proud adopted son of the capital, as he explained in a press release, had prior commitments and couldn?t be bothered to attend his customary confetti-laden Manila motorcade.
No, Pacman hasn?t renounced his adoptive Manila citizenship. It?s just that his long-time patron in the capital, Lito Atienza, doesn?t work at city hall anymore.
Of the many and much-publicized off-ring distractions that have pock-marked the illustrious career of Manny Pacquiao, his unswerving loyalty to Atienza has got to be one of the most underreported?until now, that is. Now, the boxing great has all but declared that his true home away from General Santos City is where Atienza happens to be at the moment.
If it were just a matter of personal relationships, it would have been no problem. Pacquiao, like any private citizen, is free to choose who he wants to be associated with. And one could actually argue convincingly that the boxer is just exhibiting a trait not often found these days?loyalty.
But it?s not that simple. The new mayor of Manila, Fred Lim, is an old Atienza foe. And the fact that Lim defeated Atienza?s heir apparent-son in the last elections, sinking Lito?s visions of a city hall dynasty, could have made the capital seem suddenly inhospitable to the boxing champion.
Worse, Lim has announced time and again that he intends to dun Pacquiao for unpaid rentals to the city, boxing hero or no, just like other tenants on Atienza?s now-deserted Baywalk strip. No wonder prior commitments forced Pacman away from Manila.
If Lim?s pronouncements are to be believed, he?s perfectly willing to continue the city?s special relationship with the boxing icon, something the current mayor doesn?t see as contradictory with Pac-man?s own ties with Atienza. Lim even continued Atienza?s custom of putting up the same big-screen projectors in key areas of the city so that residents may watch Pacman demolish his latest Mexican foe, just like before.
As for Pacquiao not deigning to visit city hall like he used to, Lim is philosophical about that as well, announcing in so many words that while the locals may expect Pacman to come, it doesn?t mean that he will.
All of which is sad commentary on the man who supposedly dedicates all his fights to his countrymen, Manila?s adoring residents included. It?s not even a matter of money, whether legitimately owed or not.
It?s about sincerity getting trumped by petty personal and political expediency.
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That said, Lim can?t really be faulted for taking a hard line on Baywalk and all the other high-profile projects of his predecessor. Some advisers of the mayor, in fact, have been quietly trying to piece together what they believe are shady deals entered into by the Atienza administration.
Baywalk was merely the most high profile of these. For many years, people have been suspecting that the so-called city project was not actually beneficial to the city?it was not even directly connected to the city government at all, if some critics of Lito are to be believed.
How true is it that the Baywalk tenants didn?t really pay rent to the city, but to private organizations merely identified with the past city administration? Were the Shanghai Bund-inspired lollipop lights along Roxas Boulevard funded by ?donations? that were made not to city coffers, but to a private foundation run by Atienza, his relatives and close associates?
Did the various other beautification projects that Atienza implement during his nine-year stint as mayor, using city resources and personnel, have solid paperwork that reflected sourcing of funds, costs of material and labor and adherence to government auditing regulations? Did the unwarranted closure of roads like portions of Rizal Avenue in the name of so-called ?pedestrianization? really redound to the good of Manilans, or were they just intended to give undue advantage to businessmen closely associated with Atienza?
These are among the many things Lim and his officials are trying to figure out, especially since the new city administration is hard-pressed for cash. No wonder Lim makes no bones about getting some money back for the city even from Manny Pacquiao?who, truth to tell, can actually afford to pay the minuscule amount that Manila wants to get from his now-defunct Baywalk drinking joint.
Against this complicated backdrop, Pacman?s snub of Manila takes on a whole different meaning. Like the great boxer that he is, Pacman was wise to avoid getting involved in this fight?it isn?t really about him, anyway.
