SARANGANI Rep. Man-ny Pacquiao visited the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) for the first time yesterday, and watched its boxing team and dancing inmates perform.
The inmates greeted Pacquiao with a dance presentation and sang his song ?Para Sa ?Yo, Ang Laban Na ?To.?
Pacquiao arrived at the facility around 5 p.m., or four hours later than scheduled.
He was supposed to pay a courtesy call on Gov. Hilario Davide III at 1 p.m.
When Pacquiao failed to show up by 3 p.m. the governor informed the media and some Capitol employees who were waiting for the arrival of the boxing icon that he would proceed to the CPDRC.
Addition to program
In the end, the governor was not there to greet Pacquiao when the latter arrived since Davide had another appointment.
However, Davide said he was glad Pacquiao visited the facility.
?I?m glad that our icon, our idol is visiting the CPDRC,? he said.
At the CPDRC, inmates who are members of the CPDRC Supermax, the facility?s boxing team, entertained Pacquiao with three fight rounds.
A boxing ring was placed in the center of the quadrangle where the inmates showed off their boxing skills.
Vince Rosales, choreographer of the dancing inmates, said boxing is part of the rehabilitation program of the inmates.
Rosales said CPDRC Supermax has 47 members.
Jail Warden Romeo Manansala said the inmates had trained for three months.
The CPDRC Supermax was created last November, he said.
The dancing inmates performed thrice to the tunes of ?Jump,? ?Di Ko Mapigil? by the Masculados and the late Michael Jackson?s song, ?They Don?t Really Care About Us.?
Pacquiao and his entourage were accompanied by Manansala, Provincial Chief Security Officer Loy Madrigal and Marco Toral, Capitol consultant on jail matters.
Assurance
Pacquiao led the prayer during the praise and worship, where he also shared his experiences.
He encouraged inmates to be closer to God and to read the Bible.
Pacquiao later assured the inmates that he will provide them with boxing equipment.
?If they want to pursue boxing as a career, they have to be good so they will lead a new life when they leave jail. They should like sports,? Pacquiao said in Tagalog.
Lito, the mayor de mayores (head of the inmates), thanked Pacquiao on behalf of the inmates for the visit.
He said they wrote a letter to Pacquiao, asking the congressman to support the CPRDC Supermax.
