Pacquiao Back in Philippines for "Unfinished Business"

LOS ANGELES -- Saying that he wanted to return to training camp the soonest possible time, Manny Pacquiao went back home to the Philippines Sunday evening to deal with "unfinished business" a week after winning a settlement in his landmark case against estranged promoter Murad Muhammad.

Pacquiao, who saw for himself the fast and expeditious resolution of the case that he filed against Muhammad in the Southern District of New York, will attend the PSA Forum Tuesday straight from his 13-hour trip and relay the news straight to sports writers in their weekly gathering.

Pacquiao brought with him some copies of hard evidence which was used to nail Muhammad and some proof of hanky-panky deals which his Filipino business manager Rudolfo Nazario made in the past. He said he wanted to put the record straight, once and for all.

"Marami akong nabasa at narining na mga balita na ako pa daw ang ihahabla. Ako na nga iyong ninakawan at nawalan ng pera, ako pa ang madedemanda? Huwag lang silang magkakamali at talagang wala nang atrasan ito," said Pacquiao. In his $33 million suit against Muhammad, Pacquiao did not include Nazario out of respect from the man he used to treat as a father and his wife, Supreme Court Justice Minita V. Chico-Nazario.

Pacquiao might show a small part of the documents which were used in the trial against Muhammad, who asked for a settlement before the 8-man jury was set to hand out a verdict which would have punished him more severely, according to some reports.

Some of the documents in Pacquiao's luggage are just a select part of a 12-box load of evidence.

Judd Burstein, Pacquiao's lead lawyer on the case, might try to hook up by telephone so as to brief Manila mediamen about the case. New managers Shelly Finkel, Nicholas Khan and Keith Davidson are also expected to join the teleconference.

Pacquiao, who has incurred a huge tax problem from the Internal Revenue Service as well as its Philippine counterpart, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, will also show proof that Nazario and Muhammad never paid taxes in his behalf, despite the deductions they made from his prize winnings.