MANILA, Philippines?Under the bright lights of Dallas? Cowboys Stadium, Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao today does more than represent when he takes off his jacket to face Antonio Margarito in a boxing match watched avidly by everyone in the Philippines and all around the world who seeks to be a witness to the exploits of Pacquiao, the globe?s best pound-for-pound fighter.
In that crowd in Arlington, Texas will be anything from 14 to 54 members of the House of Representatives; the exact number remains unclear. What is clear is that every time Pacquiao enters the ring in the United States to defend his belts, a contingent of Filipino congressmen leaves the Philippines to watch him fight in person.
That makes absolutely no sense at all. Even if, as House Speaker Sonny Belmonte says, these congressmen will be spending their own money?another action that remains to be conclusively proven?the fact is they are leaving the country while Congress is technically in session. In fact, tomorrow, Nov. 15, Monday, is a scheduled session day, and only then, Belmonte says, will it be clear who exactly left for the Pacquiao fight. These congressmen, choosing to go to the fight in Texas rather than serve their duties in Quezon City, will be absent.
In a Congress that has been continually plagued by absences, a lack of quorum plus an obvious inability to discuss all their bills in session, such an indifference to their duties is simply beyond belief.
These wayward congressmen?s claim that they are spending their own money to pay for travel and tickets is window-dressing. Congress is in session; these congressmen, sitting in the cavernous shadow of the football arena, taking in all the action, are currently being paid by the Filipino taxpayers even as they sit there.
Not that this is anything new. Our congressmen have been going on these trips ever since Pacquiao became a formidable pugilist. For a long time, it seemed like nobody noticed. But when the numbers of the errant congressmen started to reach ridiculous levels, people finally started to make a fuss about it.
Aside from the salary these visiting officials continue to draw, choosing to go all the way to the United States is a blatant exercise of excess in a country where the majority of the population lives under the poverty line. There is no justification, no possible explanation for spending all this money while their constituents go hungry when the fight can easily be watched here for a fraction of what they?re spending.
The worst possible justification: it is their duty to be there, to represent the Philippines in Texas? because Pacquiao needs them to be there; this is a patent falsehood.
We are all pretty sure that Pacquiao can do his best without their playing truant. If anything, Pacquiao?s having to deal with them?providing tickets and transportation?can actually be more distracting than anything else. There are many Filipinos in the United States who will attend the fight and wave the national tricolor. Our own congressmen are supposed to be doing their representing here?among the people who voted them into office and essentially paying for their salaries?not in Dallas.
Some of the congressmen have in fact figured out a way of staying in the country, yet watch the fight live while making the fight work for them; they are paying for the outdoor live screening of the fight in their bailiwicks so that their constituents can see the Pacquiao-Margarito fight for free.
We all wish Pacquiao the best and will cheer fervently for him once the bell rings in Cowboys Stadium. But when the Speaker bangs the gavel to signal the start of the session tomorrow at the House of Representatives, we will find out who left the country to indulge themselves. Let us make a note to remember who they are and what they did, so that come the next elections, we will deal them a knockout punch of our own.
