Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and several colleagues from the House of Representatives are watching the fight of boxing champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao and American welterweight champion Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Among Alvarez’s companions are majority leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, and Reps. Rogelio Pacquiao, who has inherited his brother’s congressional seat in Sarangani, Len Alonte-Naguiat of Biñan City in Laguna, Rey Umali of Mindoro Oriental, Tobias Tiangco of Navotas and Enrico Pineda of party-list group 1-Pacman.
Former Manila mayor and Rep. Lito Atienza of party-list group Buhay said he decided to stay home and watch the Pacquiao fight on television or in one of the movie houses.
“There are so many things to do here. Besides, there is no more excitement,” he said.
Atienza, a close friend of Pacquiao, had always traveled to Las Vegas to watch the fights when the boxing champion was still a congressman.
Also seen by journalists in Las Vegas were Sen. Joel Villanueva and Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa, a close friend of Pacquiao, predicted the fight would only last six rounds with “Pacman” flooring his much-younger Mexican opponent.
‘Exhausting’
Pacquiao will again make boxing history, this time as the first sitting senator to fight for a world title in his bout against Vargas on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
Pacquiao, who turns 38 next month, has so far kept his promise when he was elected senator last May that he will not be remiss in his duties after being heavily criticized for his absenteeism when he was a member of the House.
The fighting senator, an eight weight division world champion, retired from boxing last April after beating Timothy Bradley. In August, however, he claimed he needed to return to the sport as it was his passion and source of income.
“It’s not easy. The Senate is mentally exhausting. The training is physically exhausting. And yet I truly feel like I am 27 again,” the Daily Mail quoted Pacquiao as saying in an article on Nov. 3.
“I did not miss a single session. That done, preparing for this fight has meant working days of 14 hours or longer. During the day at my office or in the Senate. During the night in the gym,” he said.
Pacquiao only left the country late last month for the US after Congress went on recess.
The quorum
With the leading congressmen watching the bout in the US, The STAR sent a text message to Fariñas asking how many of them are in Las Vegas, whether they are traveling at the expense of the House or on their own and whether they would be back by Monday in time for the resumption of session.
So far, only Tiangco replied. The Navotas congressman said he has travel authority from the House at no expense to the government. He said he is spending his own money.
Tiangco said he would be back by Tuesday morning.
Most likely, Alvarez and the other Las Vegas travelers would miss Monday’s session.
Like Tiangco, the earliest they could reach Manila is Tuesday. That is, if they take the Sunday evening Los Angeles or San Francisco direct flights of Philippine Airlines, which will arrive here about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Alvarez and Fariñas need not be present for the House to do its business. They have several deputies to do the job of presiding officer and acting majority leader.
The post Bato, Lawmakers Fly to Vegas for Pacquiao Bout appeared first on The Philippine Star
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