The COMELEC on a statement via its Chairman Andres Bautista advised Saranggani Representative and Senatorial aspirant Manny Pacquiao to consider postponing his fight after the May 2016 Philippine elections.
Bautista said “to avoid probable legal repercussion” Pacman should re-think and consider moving his scheduled April 9, 2016 fight against Timothy Bradley to a later date weeks after the May elections.
““Advisable is for Pacquiao to postpone his April 9 bout to a date weeks after the Elections, so as to avoid probable legal repercussion.” said Chairman Andress Bautista.
Pacquiao’s fight against Bradley is being questioned by former Akbayan Representative (who’s also running for the Senate) Walden Bello and former Senator Rene Saguisag. According to their petition, Pacquiao’s fight which falls on the campaign period will give Pacman undue advantage against other senatorial candidates. The fight which will be beamed around the world will give Pacquiao free publicity which opposes the nature of the fair elections act.
“There are limits to political advertising. This globally and nationally televised fight a month before the elections would mean hours and hours of coverage before, during, and after the fight. This media attention, supplemented by national pay-per-view television coverage during the fight, would be massive free advertising”, said Bello.
“We cannot have this, him training and willy-nilly getting free publicity, in this scofflaw nation. Please advise him to reset the fight…And this plea, with all you have to do, is essentially to make sure that Manny does not enjoy unfair advantage by circumvention. What he may not do directly he may not do indirectly.’” said Saguisag.
Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao seemed un-affected by the petition.
In an article by GMA News Online, Pacman shrugs off calls to postpone the fight hitting critics with crab mentality.
“May lawyers naman tayo. Allowed naman tayo lumaban. Ito naman matagal na nating ginagawa..Sabi ng abogado natin, OK naman lumaban”, said Pacman
[I have lawyers with me. I am allowed to fight, because that’s what I’m doing for a long time. My lawyers told me that it’s OK to fight]
He also added “Bakit nila ipagkait sa milyon-milyong pilipino na mapanood yung fight dahil lang sa iilan na may crab mentality?”
[Why would they deprive the millions of Filipino who want to watch the fight just because of the few people with crab mentality?]
Pacquiao was given 5 days by the COMELEC to answer the petition filed by Bello and Saguisag.
