MANILA – Filipino boxing champ Nonito Donaire, Jr. on Friday paid tribute to the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. and his wife, former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, by giving his boxing shorts and robe to the Aquino children.
Donaire said he identified with the Aquinos’ courage and will to succeed, which earned for him the victory in his recent fight against Panama’s Rafael Concepcion.
“[Concepcion] tried dirty tactics on me, like stepping on my foot while jabbing and head butting me,” Donaire said. “But I just kept fighting and remained courageous like Ninoy and Cory.”
The newly crowned WBA interim super flyweight champion handed over the items to the Aquino family shortly after the mass offered to Ninoy at the Don Bosco Church in Makati City.
Donaire turned over his boxing shorts and robe to the Aquino children in a simple ceremony.
The Filipino boxer said he has donned the yellow shorts to pay tribute to Cory.
“We made it a point to wear yellow to give honor to our late President Cory Aquino even if it was so difficult to change the red shorts I normally wear, and even my robe po its yellow and on the back it says in memory of Cory Aquino,” he said.
Cory’s grandson Jiggy Aquino-Cruz thanked Donaire for his gesture.
“On behalf of our family, we’d like to thank you for the great gesture of honoring our lola in your fight. It means a lot to us,” he said.
The items will be displayed in the Aquino Museum in Tarlac. With a report from TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News
