The business manager of featherweight “People’s Champion” Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines has lamented some media reports attempting to link Pacquiao to an ex-army sergeant wanted in connection with the shooting of reporter Jun Abayon of GMA Super Radio dxBB in General Santos City at 3:00 a.m. Sunday.
Nazario said it was “very unfair to drag Pacquiao’s name into the incident because the alleged gunman was never his bodyguard and the shooting took place on the road away from the boxer’s home.” Nazario said Pacquiao had left a gathering of the Guardians Brotherhood at the Skytop of Sidney’s Hotel and went straight home and was “sound asleep when the incident happened.”
Nazario indicated he was “very upset” at attempts by some sectors of media to always try and link Pacquiao to incidents that tended to tarnish the champion’s image. “He is a champion who has brought honor and pride to our country by his superb exploits in the ring and we should respect him not try to bring him down by patently false allegations.”
Nazario said he had advised Pacquiao not to heed requests for him to try and look for the gunman identified as William Pa-il and to convince him to surrender. Pa-il reportedly shot Abayon after they taunted each other. Both men had reportedly been drinking.
