MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE) Having been promoted to reservist Master Sergeant, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao said he would visit his fellow soldiers on the frontlines against al Qaeda-linked militants in Sulu and Basilan.
“Next month, I will visit Jolo and Basilan to show my support for our soldiers there,” said Pacquiao, who was in full camouflage uniform, in a speech at the Philippine Army Headquarters grandstand in Fort Bonifacio.
Pacquiao said he hoped that his recent win against Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera would inspire “courage, bravery, and determination” among the troops.
“I really wanted to be a soldier. This is a dream come true,” he said.
Army Chief Lieutenant General Alexander Yano conferred the promotion on Pacquiao, and joked that with his winning streak, he could no longer be promoted the next time he would win.
“We may have to demote you,” Yano said in jest.
Since he was an undergraduate, Pacquiao could not be promoted higher than the master sergeant rank, said Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres Jr.
It was Pacqiuao’s second promotion in a year. After winning a fight in June 2006, he was promoted from sergeant to technical sergeant, Torres said.
Yano recounted how Pacquiao would bring tuna, rice, and canned goods to the 601st Infantry Brigade in General Santos City, Pacquiao’s hometown, when he was the brigade commander there several years back, every time he won a fight abroad.
One time, in 2004, Yano said he brought Pacquiao to an Army base in
Palembang Sultan Kudarat, to visit the troops. At that time, the military was running after Abu Sayyaf rebels who escaped there with their kidnap victims.
“I brought him there, but I really took care of him because he could have been hit by a sniper. I made him ride a Simba [tank] to be sure,”
Yano said.
Pacquiao recalled the Palembang visit: “We went there so that I could give support to the troops. Then we ate food laid out over banana leaves on a long table.”
Coached by the audience, Pacquiao remembered that the meal was a “boodle fight,” a military tradition aimed at bringing the commanders closer to their men.
Army officials, soldiers, and their families lined up for a photo opportunity with Pacquiao, after the ceremony.
At a reception that followed, Pacquiao sang his signature song, “Para sa ‘yo [For You].”
