SEVERAL officers and enlisted men were dismayed when the ring idol, Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao, visited the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio Thursday for commissioning because he was sporting an “unmilitary” look.
Officers who spoke on condition of anonymity said Pacquiao’s appearance contrasted with the “good grooming” taught by the military to officers and enlisted men.
The officers censured PacMan’s apparent discourtesy and disregard of military rules when he showed up for commissioning as a sergeant in the reserve force.
Pacquiao was sporting long hair, along with cascading sideburns, a thick mustache and a luxuriant goatee. He wore a camouflage fatigue uniform and combat shoes.
Wrong model
Some of the officers complained after the photograph of Pacquiao, surrounded by smiling admirers, was printed by the Metro Manila papers.
“Sergeant Pacquiao’s pictures in the newspapers are disgusting . . . it’s annoying . . . a wrong model for military personnel,” said a senior officer who declined to be named.
The officers said the world champion should have had his hair cut and his beard shaved since he was wearing an official army uniform. He should have exercised more discipline, they added.
However, the chief of the National Capital Regional Command Community Defense Group, Col. Isabelo Baricho 3rd, quickly defended the champion from General Santos City.
Baricho, who conferred the rank of sergeant on Pacquiao, said the celebrity recruit need not comply with military rules on good grooming, since he is only a reserve officer.
