THE plenary deliberations on proposals to amend the Constitution will take the backseat for a while at the House of Representatives as congressmen are set to take Las Vegas by storm to watch the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight on Sunday.

The House adjourned session at exactly 6 p.m. Wednesday with only 104 lawmakers present despite the arrival of 25 new party-list congressmen.

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Sources said some of the party-list representatives will also watch the fight.

The House is still in the process of plenary deliberations on Speaker Prospero Nograles’s Resolution 737 which seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution to lift the ban on foreign ownership of land through the ordinary process of legislation by a three-fourths vote, with the House and the Senate voting separately.

The word going around is that some 50 congressmen will watch the fight but Secretary General Marilyn Yap said only four have asked for a travel authority.

These four were Nograles and Representatives Al Francis Bichara of Albay, Bienvenido Abante of Manila, and Eric Singson of Ilocos Norte.

While several will fly to the US, some are expected to tag along President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her visit to Egypt and Syria on May 1.

Yap said the travel authority only allows for the quick facilitation of the congressmen’s travel and does not necessarily mean that the House will pay for their travel and accommodations.

She said that if Cha-cha will be delayed, it will not be because of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight but of the Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban City which will be attended by some 35 congressmen.

Representative Monico Puentevella of Bacolod, former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), said he would also attend the fight and cover it at the same time for Bombo Radyo.

“I will cover for Bombo nationwide, blow by blow,” he said. “I will not spend a single centavo from the House, it’s all mine and I’ll be working too.”

Puntevella however doubted that the number of congressmen who will watch will reach 50. “Maybe 20 or maybe (even) less because we’re still in session,” he said.

He also defended the President’s Middle East trip, saying it is “a timely and necessary undertaking as we need new investments to stimulate our economic growth and spare our country from the global recession.”

“Her critics should instead support and pray for the safety and success of the President, after all, our country stands to benefit from her hard work and endeavors,” he said.

Nograles admitted that he and other congressmen are finding it difficult to catch a flight to the US because of the delay in booking their travel arrangements.

He and his colleagues will be spending personal money for their air fare and accommodations.

According to the Speaker, he did not approve any official travel for any congressmen, some of whom have become notorious for asking for per diems and other allowances for foreign trips.

He said he only approves the official travels of congressmen but does not “interfere” in the unofficial trips of those who will travel on their own.

Being a native of Mindanao and member of Team Pacquiao, Nograles said he has never missed any fight of the Filipino boxing great, along with his sons.

“I have never missed his fights. Pacquiao is the pride of Mindanao and I am a part of his team. I have never used government funds to watch his fights,” he said. (WV/Sunnex)