THERE IS truth to the saying that victory has a thousand brothers and defeat is an orphan. On Wednesday night, Manny Pacquiao was besieged by people claiming to be his aunt, uncle, cousin and distant relatives in an effort to partake from his winnings during a big-time derby held at the Negros Coliseum in Bacolod City.
As the classy SUV that he rode was about to speed off to the airport to catch the 10:50 a.m. Philippine Airlines flight that was aborted due to a technical problem, Pacquiao even handed over R2,000 to an aging woman who had been waiting for him emerge from his Talisay Suite at the Casino Filipino Hotel.
The lady said she was a relative, but Pacquiao did not mind whether she indeed was a certified Pacquiao, or just someone who’s pretending to be one.
“Sige, basta’t bigyan mo na lang yung matandang babae,” said Pacquiao, who had to dig deep into his pocket anew when a thirty-something fellow showed him a driver’s license bearing the surname Pacquiao.
This time, Pacquiao got R500 so he could make the day of the guy who claimed that he was one of the Gensan prizefighter’s kristos (bet collector) that night.
Although Pacquiao did not field his trademark Super Pacman entry in the event that drew the participation of close to 300 entries, he still managed to fatten his pockets alongside bosom buddy Wakee Salud of Cebu.
Pacquiao actually may have won more than half-a-million pesos had two of the feathered warriors that he released prevailed.
Despite that, the boxing star managed to load up and put a smile on the faces of several of his friends and even those who were assigned to join him during his two-day stay there.
One of his trusted men, a big guy who serves as his cook bared that Pacquiao is a sucker for these type of caper.
“Marami nang nagpunta sa bahay niya na nagsasabi na sila ay kamag-anak. Mero pa ngang dalang mga kung anu-anong ID na nakalagay Pacquiao ang apelyido pero halatang dinoktor,” said the Pacquiao man.
Pacquiao has also apparently learned a lesson after discovering that one guy who said he was a first-cousin turned out to be a fraud.
“Ipinakita niya sa akin yung ID niya na Pacquiao daw siya pero nahalata ko na pinatungan lang niya yung tunay niyang apelyido,” said Pacquiao laughing.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao said he will be joined in the promotional tour of his rematch with Erik Morales in Mexico and the US next month by Salud, who co-manages his younger brother Bobby.
Pacquiao and Salud are leaving together to Los Angeles via PAL on Nov. 8, and by the time they get back to Manila a week later, they’d probably be joined by American trainer Freddie Roach.
Roach will train Pacquiao for one or two weeks in Cebu before the two start training camp proper in late-November or early-December.
