BOTH used to be priceless national jewels. But it’s now easy to compare the dying Pasig, once the river of our dreams, to battered, battle-weary Luisito Espinosa, once our most celebrated world boxing champion.
There are ongoing efforts to revive, if not restore, them to their former glories.
For Luisito, who suffered another undeserved devastation in the United States over the weekend, he will never be a champ again.
But he could be helped back to his feet to live sanely once again, after being knocked out silly by cowardly promoters.
The Pasig, on the other hand, cannot be restored to its pristine past, but it could be saved from totally dying.
* * *
The river first.
There’s this announcement that another major event is being staged to save the Pasig.
The event is the Philippine Marathon for the Pasig River.
It’s not the first event of its nature to be held in support of the dying river.
Before it, there was the Pasig River Heritage Marathon and a host of such events which obviously did not serve their full purpose.
But this 42-km run, from Fort Santiago to Fort Bonifacio, promises to be truly different, explains a friend who’s been helping drumbeat the race.
* * *
How could a running marathon save the Pasig?
The answer: “Since its inception, our marathon was never an ordinary brawn-and-sweat sporting activity. It has always been a hybrid of physical prowess, environmental advocacy and historical cultural awareness.”
Great. How else could it differ from those failed marathons?
He adds: “In going international, the Philippine Marathon for the Pasig River has been accredited by both the US-based Association of International Marathoners and Road Racers (AIMS) and the International Association of Athletics. We therefore get the limelight of international road racers focused on us for one special time of the year. We now belong to a select list where renowned international marathon events and organizers are included.”
The event, we were told, is being spearheaded by former First Lady Amelita Ramos, chairperson of the Clean and Green Foundation Inc.
No date has yet been set for said marathon.
But not to worry: “It was conceived by pure inspiration and organized out of pure love.”
* * *
So who will stop Luisito Espinosa from going the way of the Pasig and eventually killing himself?
Definitely not his kids who are too young, ignorant of what their helpless father is up to.
Definitely not the blind boxing commission out there in California that could not care less if a helpless, defenseless, destitute former national treasure gets savaged by younger foes in begging for a few dollars inside the ring.
Luisito is not only over-the-hill. He’s not only a washed-up bum.
He’s lost, desperate, devastated. But the poor pug could not help it.
He keeps punching out there. Oh, he does not know anymore what he’s doing.
But he’d rather get demolished, again and again and again, he’d rather die slowly, brutally rather than see his three lovely kids go hungry.
* * *
You know what?
There are people who could stop Luisito from surely and slowly annihilating himself.
For example, Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Rosario Cruz could get on her feet, do her job, and stop sitting on the Espinosa case, which has gathered dust in her sala these past six years.
The case stemmed from the non-payment of Luisito’s $150,000 purse for his title defense in Koronadal, South Cotabato, during the reign of Fidel Ramos.
So far, the case itself has started to rot, no thanks to the assigned judge who has obviously forgotten what justice is all about.
Based on the merits of the case, the then head of the Games and Amusements Board committed an unforgivable sin when he allowed Espinosa to fight with the purses still unsettled.
But the full blame falls on former South Cotabato Gov. Larry de Pedro and Rod Nazario, the listed promoters in the Koronadal world championship.
These two should stop running away. They owe Espinosa.
In fact, Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, Murad Muhammad, had openly advised Nazario to settle his debt to Espinosa the moment he’s able to collect his cut from Pacquiao’s monumental March 19 outing in Las Vegas.
That’s the only decent thing to do, Murad was quoted as having advised his partner in Team Pacquiao.
Sorry, but they have obviously forgotten what decency is all about in the case of the defeated, cheated Luisito Espinosa.
The decayed Pasig of our dreams has a better chance of surviving.
