MANNY ?Pacman? Pacquiao?s 12-rounder against Mexican Oscar Larios yesterday kept commuters off the streets, to the dismay of jeepney drivers.
Randomly interviewed jeepney drivers complained that people stayed at home to watch the fight, cutting their income by half.
?Dili gyud ta ka kwarta aning Pacquiao bay (We did not earn in this fight),? one driver said.
Yesterday?s fight also kept police on their toes, not to root for the boxing idol but to guard against possible attacks by communist rebels.
With the match broadcast on national TV, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 ordered all its members to ?maintain vigilance? even while watching the match. All stations were placed on red alert because of the match.
?You are reminded not to lose your guard….The enemy doesn?t need diversionary tactics. Security of your station is paramount,? read a Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) memorandum.
The communiqu? was sent yesterday afternoon to all police stations, especially those in remote towns considered to be under threat from communist rebels.
Betting
PRO 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. earlier said it was okay for policemen to watch the match in their stations. He, however, emphasized that betting is not allowed.
Alarcio also ordered policemen to make sure they continue doing their duties, even if it meant missing the match.
Although the CPPO increased the security of stations in Cebu?s mid-north after sightings of armed persons in the mountains were reported, officials did not take any chances yesterday.
Police Superintendent Erson Digal, deputy provincial director for operations, said he ordered all stations to be on red alert for the duration of the fight.
The move, Digal said, was meant to deny New People?s Army (NPA) rebels a chance to attack. He said NPAs are always on the lookout for an opportunity to attack and it would be ?embarrassing and absurd? if policemen are caught off guard because their eyes are glued on the television.
Normal
?It?s not phobia. It is a normal alert level when there are affairs that would attract public attention. Daghang boxing fanatics unya samtang nagtan-aw ta ug TV ang mga NPA naa na diay sa ato-ang duol nagkamang (They might be watching television without realizing rebels are about to attack.),? he said.
Policemen were asked to be especially wary of groups wanting to visit the station, as rebels on a raid were known to pose as complainants.
The CPPO also directed the chiefs of the 703rd Provincial Mobile Group and the stations to be on the lookout for illegal gambling, which usually happens during big sports events.
So far, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Homicide Section did not receive any police alarm directly related to the Pacquiao-Larios bout.
Homicide investigator Desiderio Mendaros said Acting Director Melvin Gayotin ordered them to ?stay put and beef up monitoring? for them to immediately respond to emergencies arising from the fight.
Gayotin earlier advised the public to ?stay cool? while watching the fight to avoid trouble.
?Duwa ra gud ni. Dili lang ta magpadala sa emosyon (This is just a game, Don?t let your emotion go out of control),? Gayotin earlier said.
Policemen were deployed yesterday to the Cebu City Coliseum, Ayala Center Cebu and SM City Cebu, which showed live feed of the fight.
The Mobile Patrol Group also conducted roving patrols yesterday.
