Monday, March 24, 2008 Seares: Unfinished business By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
WHAT has the March 16 Pacquiao-Marquez boxing fight in common with the current political crisis in the country?
They’re both unfinished business.
A contest in which victory by the country’s national sports hero is seriously assailed is as undecided as the evidence that trail of large-scale corruption leads to the highest office of the land.
Both are unresolved—and troubling.
Unfinished business has its urgency: People want it finished. Yet it may hang there until its force is spent.
Promoters of the Pacquiao-Marquez card thought the title would draw more audiences. “Unfinished Business,” pitch for a grudge fight, is less hard-sell than “Thrilla in Manila” but more creatively hip than “Showdown in Vegas.”
While UB pushed ticket sales, it also revved up curiosity: Who’s the better fighter? Many Pinoys who go gaga over Pacquiao concede the split decision was inconclusive.
It’s Pacquiao who picks his next foe in the ring. After the initial knee-jerk reply he’d tangle with Marquez anytime, even on a street brawl, he’s now careful: career and business sense over desire for a definitive end.
Survival
It’s also “lust, caution” for President Arroyo, not of the flesh but for political survival. With less than three years before her term expires, she’s obsessed with staying on and staying alive. And she’s totally cautious.
A lucky bitch? The “lucky” part is only a bit of Gloria’s secret, which is hard work, true grit, and sheer cunning.
Like Marquez, Arroyo critics may fret or rage over the unfinished business. But for both Paquiao and Gloria, it’s their call, at least for now.
