Palace confident of Pacman’s victory

MALACANANG is in full confidence that Filipino boxing champ Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao will win his fight against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey this Sunday (Manila time) at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas in US.

Two days before the much-awaited bout, deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar said they are expecting Pacquiao to defeat the black welterweight boxer. “We fully expect that Manny will win.”

"The Manny Pacquiao Blog". Click here for stories and updates on the Filipino boxing champ.

Olivar at his weekly press briefing in Malacanang advised Pacquiao to be careful on his fight considering the reputation of Clottey.

“He should be careful on the dirty tactics of Clottey, like the head-butting,” the Palace official said, hoping that Pacquiao will win the fight without being hurt that much.

“Keep your distance and keep on guessing,” he told the boxing icon.

Olivar added that he will not advise Pacquiao to pray since it has been the ritual of the boxing champ “before, during, and after” the fight.

Asked if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will watch the bout, Olivar said he is not privy to the schedule of the President.

He furthered that he is not aware of the Cabinet officials who will be watching Pacquiao’s fight live in Texas.

After Sunday’s boxing bout, Pacquiao is again set to engage in another fight in the Saranggani where he is seeking for a congressional post.

Olivar said it is not timely to raise politics while the pound-for-pound king is preparing for his match against Clottey.

The Palace aide believed that Pacquiao’s focus is on the boxing arena rather than politics.

“I am sure he is focused on Clottey. If not, it is dangerous if he thinks about politics because he might get knocked out,” he said.

In 2007, Pacquiao ran for the first congressional district of South Cotabato under the Liberal Party but lost to his rival, incumbent Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio.

Pacquiao will be running in Congress again this coming May elections representing Saranggani under the People’s Champ Movement. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)