WHILE it may have taken longer for the photo-ops and autograph signing to finish than the lunch, the affable Manny Pacquiao remained engaging in a meeting yesterday at a local restaurant.
There weren?t too many questions asked, while those fielded by the three journalists present were mostly trivial queries that ranged from his last visit to Cebu to his family lineage.
The sensitive issues were shunned, but not because of the journalists? lack of interest.
?Your rematch with Morales is reportedly jeopardized by your current conflict with former manager Murad Muhammad?? asked Erwin Lirazan of Sun.Star Superbalita.
Pacquiao listened intently, but as soon as the reporter finished fielding his question, Pacquiao?s eyes gamely wandered, moving up, down, left, right ? mimicking a child unmindful of the fuss around him ? then, attempting to put a closure to this part of the Q&A, turned to the reporter and said, ?My lawyer told me not to comment on that.?
He did give a hint about his next fight.
?Basin inig (maybe in) August,? he said in fluent Cebuano, not bothering to mention any prospective opponent. ?If it won?t be held in the US, maybe in the Philippines.?
Then came another trivial one: ?From what province do the Pacquiaos hail??
?Cebu,? he said.
?Nya nganong naabot man ka sa (Then why do you live in) GenSan?? was the quick rejoinder of Wakee Salud, the celebrated boxer?s host in Cebu.
?Ambot nilang mama ug papa (You can ask my mother and father about it),? Pacquiao said, drawing a hearty laugh.
The talk focused more on his Cebuano roots.
?Cebuano gyud diay ka (So you?re a Cebuano),? said Cebu Daily News? Salven Lagumbay.
The discussion picked up and Pacquiao was getting more interested.
Eager to trace and make known his Cebuano lineage, Pacquiao called a brother, sent a text message here and there, while everybody was conjecturing.
Moments later, his face wrapped in excitement, Pacquiao blurts out, ?Pinamungajan. Pinamungajan kuno ingon si papa (My father said he hails from the town of Pinamungajan).?
