Drilon knocked out Pacquiao in the worst Senate debate

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

In the annals and even anal of the Philippine Senate, one of its lowest parts was when Senator Manny Pacquiao, not contented of his being loquacious, clashed with super heavyweight Senator Franklin Drilon just like what he did with Eric Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez before national television at the amusement and consternation of the Filipinos.
The problem was Drilon was a BAR top ten passer of an Ivy League's University of the Philippines while Pacquiao was a product of the University of Hard Knocks complemented by the Department of Education's Acceleration or Accreditation and Equivalency Test where the world saw him plucked from Grade 6 to college without giving him a benefit of what was to be in  Sharon Cuneta's "High School Life".

A knocked out boxing icon Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao in his proposed bill wanted to create a separate boxing commission that is independent from the supervision of the Games & Amusement Board (GAB).

Here’s an excerpt of the exchanges of power and dud punches as written by a reporter of Rappler on the First Round of the verbal tussle:

“Why are we creating a new agency when the GAB can perform these functions?" asked Drilon.

Pacquiao replied that his bill seeks to update reviews and standards of the industry, as well as to collect fees and create linkages to foreign boxing agencies. He said the new agency would implement stricter requirements for boxers.

Drilon was not satisfied with Pacquiao's answer and repeated his question: "I guess the question is, are those functions today being performed by GAB?"

"Yes, Mr President," Pacquiao answered.

"So if they are being performed now, why do we have to create a new body which will perform new functions?" Drilon said.

Pacquiao then paused, as his legislative staff was coaching him. He then went on to say: "The [difference] is this review and update of rules and procedures relating to professional boxing and combat sports. They are not in the GAB and also to establish linkages to institutions, with counterpart agencies in order to facilitate participation of Filipino professional boxers."

A confused Drilon then said: "Can we have a clearer answer? I'm sorry, I cannot catch the essence of the answer."

What offended me was in the two rounds of their debate that was held last Wednesday and Thursday, Pacquiao was exposed to have grammatically wrong English (“consensus” he called “conscientious”, bakit di na magTagalog or mag Bisaya?!) but came unprepared in the August Body locking horns with a veteran executive and elective official with tons of I.Q’s too.

The two consultants or lawyers of Pacquiao who were hiding behind the wood railing near his lectern have their hardest part coaching him everytime Drilon unleashed those “power punch” questions. The actuation of the consultants and the boxing icon did not sit well with the viewers.

As a senator he should stand there and argue like a man without relying 90 percent of his answers from the coaches hiding near him.

Here’s newspaper editor in my province Giovani Madrid who reacted on my Face Book lived feed of my radio program when I discussed Pacquiao’s damaging stunts in the Senate.

“Feeling like he's well-versed with anything and everything under the sun kasi nasobrahan ang superiority complex. Epekto iyan ng pagiging boxing champ niya, masyado nang nakalog ang utak sa bawat untog at suntok, after all those years! He's out of the real world!”

For me Giovani, I ain't blame Pacquiao on this "nightmare" that ensued in the halls of the Senate, I blame the idiotic and gullible voters who catapulted him at the August Body without distinguishing  the difference between an exciting boxing match to sheer intelligence.

VIDEO OF MY RADIO PROGRAM TITLED: DRILON KNOCKED OUT PACQUIAO

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)