PEOPLE FROM Metro Manila who went to General Santos the other weekend to attend the three-in-one celebration of Pinoy boxing icon Manny Pacquiao had some interesting tales to tell.
For starters, I got a lengthy text message from an associate just recently, asking if I heard about the shabby treatment the GMA-7 television crew got from the GenSan host.
“The GMA-7 crew, led by Lala Roque, was barred from covering the house blessing and the birthday concert,” he reported. “They only succeeded in taking the video of the christening at the Church of our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage because no one can bar anybody from entering the house of God.”
According to my associate, the centerpiece of the buffet table was three huge cakes representing the three occasions. One cake was adorned with a house for the blessing of the Pacquiao mansion, the second with a pair of gloves for Pacman’s birthday, while the third had a regular kiddie d?cor with a fairy tale motif. The last cake represented the baptism of Pacman’s daughter Mary Divine Grace.
The festivities lasted until morning, my source reported.
“All night long, Manny kept digging into his pocket for his wallet. He was continually running out of beer. He had to keep sending for more.”
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At the Araneta Coliseum last Christmas Day, a scribe who also covered the GenSan event for television was talking about the celebrities he saw at the church during the christening.
“Among the ninongs he recognized were Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporation, Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, Wilson Tieng of Solar, sportsmen Hermie Esguerra and Ali Atienza, movie stars Rudy Fernandez and Bayani Agbayani and Gabby Lopez of ABS-CBN.
The mansion Pacquiao built is really huge, he said.
“There must have been two or three billiards room.”
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The hangover from the whole-day feast must have been such that Manny was unable to honor several commitments in the next few days.
According to reports, one of these was a function in Boracay hosted by a company whose product he was endorsing. The head of the company, who happens to be his kumpare now, definitely did not feel too good about the no-show. So must be the residents of Bicol who eagerly awaited his personal appearance last week for a fundraising event.
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“It really wasn’t a hangover that kept him from honoring his commitments,” an advertising man explained.
Manny was just observing a superstitious belief, he said.
“From what I heard, he’s supposed to sleep in the new house for five straight days starting from the 16th, otherwise something very bad will happen either to him or to his family. He told us he couldn’t leave GenSan in that period, as he apologized to those with whom he had made commitments.
“Mahirap na daw, kesa masisi pa siya kung magkatutuo ang superstition, sundin na lang niya,” my source said.
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Reactions are indeed slow in coming. The Pacquiao celebration is almost two weeks old.
So is this incident which was mentioned by a colleague who called yesterday to wish me a happy new year and at the same time inquire about the status of the BAP which, he speculates, will probably get reinstated after that wild and wooly scene during the last POC board meeting.
“Now that Go Teng Kok has had a falling out with Monico Puentevella and company, maybe the BAP will have the numbers for its reinstatement,” he said, after describing rather vaguely, the scenario that transpired: Tennis’ Buddy Andrada swinging a fist but missing, (nakailag ang target”), GTK throwing a glass of water but also missing his target (nakailag din).
“I take it you haven’t heard the latest. The BAP’s Jinggoy Estrada and the SBP’s Manny V. Pangilinan have reached an agreement, thus unifying Philippine basketball. Surely the POC will give its nod to the new alliance,” I informed him.
