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Philippines, 24 Nov 2024 |
Home >> News >> Columns >> Mortz Marcelo Ortigoza |  |
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GAB, Pacman, & Politicians PhilBoxing.com Sun, 22 Oct 2006 At 8 Am last Friday, I was zealously discussing boxing with Dagupan City’s Bombo- Radyo manager and commentator Marvin Modelo on the airwaves. Hey guys, Modelo is the voice behind the Pacquaio-Larios collision as blared by Bombo Radyo globally. Same also in the upcoming Pacquaio-Morales Rubber match. I told him that Games & Amusement Board’s Commissioner Alex Paglumotan discussed with me a day ago of his and GAB’s Chair Eric Buhain’s intention to establish a GAB extension office for Northern Luzon. And the ideal venue is either Baguio City or Pangasinan Province. He agreed with me that the latter place is the most conducive. I said: “It’s the most populated province in the Philippines, the top grosser in provincial revenues, it got six (6) congressional acrimonious districts, big names and egos in our country’s politics and public service are piled here. And yours truly, is an adopted son of this province for almost two decades. Who lick myself with contentment here — even though I’m a dyed-in-the wool ilonggo who lives in Cotabato and Iloilo, and buttressed by a 308 Horse Power distinctive tikal underpinning. Provincial Administrator Virgilio Solis told me recently that in case Com. Paglumotan wants to meet Governor Victor Agbayani he has somebody who will arrange for the said schedule. By the way, Paglumotan is the brain behind the successful 1st Boxing Convention in our country -- where big names in promotions, top and world class referees, media folks, corners, and boxers like Manny Pacquaio had attended. He is also the representative of the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) in the country. GAB is a regulatory body, likes the Nevada State Athletic Association and those similar entities in other states in the U.S, who has police power to throw the book to the malfeasants. As what Executive Order No.392 mandates when it created GAB: “It shall exercise supervision and regulation over the operation and conduct of sports and activities like cockfighting (those fowl things dude, for the sake of our American readers), gambling, jai-alai, professional basketball & other professional games, horse racing, wrestling, karate & boxing (the last one is the saving grace of this country. To rephrase George Benson:The greatest thing of all -- in terms of exposure for this pathetic country economically and physically before the eyes of the world). This, in order to promote and maintain orderly, honest and fair conduct of games; provide protection to the betting public and patrons, practicing licensees in the professional sport concerned; and make a professional sports activities a stable base for revenue generation.” He agreed with me to bring to Pangasinan Manny Pacquaio, say, to grace the new extension office of GAB in case it will materialize with the selfless help from the governor. Please be informed, Pangasinan has 99% of ABS/CBN T.V viewership during the Pacquiao-Larios tiff. It dwarfed all those major areas nationally surveyed by the giant boob tube network owned by the Lopezes. Thus, it’s justifiable for Pacman to set foot here before the eyes of his avid fanatics as based on that TV survey. Marvin skeptically asked me would there be enough boxers here in our area to apply for a professional license? I said clearly and slowly: You don’t worry, man. Look, have you forgotten those policemen and politician we tongue-lashed by using our pen and radio because those scoundrels beat to pulp their arrested suspects, and constituents, respectively. Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior, those scumbags are our potential candidates for GAB, instead of the National Prison. These beasts are killing machines that will gobble any prospect Mexico and any pugilistic producing country can offer to unseat us from this perched of glory in the boxing world. Just give them professional licenses, for Christ sake! A month ago and during our press club’s oath-taking ceremony Mr. Ruel Camba – the Joseph Goebbel of the Province’s “Propaganda Ministry”- confided to me and Marvin to help him promote boxing here. He deplored the state of the art boxing facilities Former President Fidel V. Ramos bequeathed to the province of his birth. “Those are idling stuffs at the Narciso Ramos Gymnasium are waiting for somebody to use” he added. Back to Paglumotan, he disclosed to me that the establishment of the extension office is an opportunity because election fever is already around the corner. And I agreed about it, because politicians, like Speaker Joe de Venecia, are saber rattling and giving dole-outs already in every nook and cranny of their area (who says the Speaker is so sure that next year he can shelve the local poll? Res ipsa loquitur, dear readers). With election around the corner, Paglumotan said politicians will be too generous to bankroll boxing festivity in their turf to entertain the awed downtrodden who composed the majority of the voting sector and the unwashed of our society. Likewise, I told the Commissioner to have a call to Dagupan City Mayor Benjie S. Lim. The architect of making the said city as the Milk Fish (Bangus) Capital of the World, and the actor behind the chutzpah of having the longest grilled in the world as the Guinness Book of World Record could attest. Dagupan City is an independent component city. Even it is part of Pangasinan, it is autonomous in governance vis-?-vis the provincial government. Lim is like a governor too, in rank. If we are lucky, Alex and Eric Buhain can meet the overlord of overlords of the country’s politics. He is the kingmaker and resident of Dagupan—Speaker Jose de Venecia. He is diminutive but master of political genius, the rabble rouser non-pareil that can be at the league of Sukarto, Mussolini, Hitler, Castro, Churchill. Thus, I’m calling the attention of City Councilor Alex de Venecia (nephew of the Speaker). Alderman, can you still remember when we met at the residence of your uncle, when he hosted the president of the Philippines for a sumptuous dinner? You told me you want to meet Manny Pacquaio. Maaan, this is your opportunity! But please tell your dear uncle-- who recently distributed 11 million pesos for cooperatives’ seed money here, and 15 million pesos for the construction of the five pedestrian overpasses to be built soon—to please help GAB materialize its dream of altruistically putting an office here. And of course, the said office couldn’t effectively function without its inside components like air-conditioning system, computer, tables, chairs, you name it. To all politicos out there, hope you can share your part here too. Sige kayo, pag dumating si Manny Pacquiao dito sasabihin ko sa mga botante thru radio kung sino sa inyo ang nag dead-ma at di tumulong sa GAB at sa promotion ng boxing. (Send comments at totomortz@yahoo.com, or mobile phone#: 09192760964) Click here for a complete listing of columns by this author. Click here for a complete listing of this author's articles from different news sources. |
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