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Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Pacquiao dragged into slay of Army sergeant
By Edwin G. Espejo
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Controversy continues to hound Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao as he is now being implicated in another murder case, this time involving the slaying of a former Army sergeant.
Maritess Francisco alleged over the weekend that her husband was slain because of his alleged relationship with the married youngest sister of Pacquiao.
Sgt. Tomas Francisco was ambushed and killed by still unidentified gunmen along the national highway Friday evening.
One of the suspects, whose identity was not immediately known, is reportedly a bodyguard of Pacquiao.
Maritess said his husband allegedly received death threats from the Filipino boxing champion several months ago after his younger sister Isidra was mauled by her husband.
When Pacquiao reportedly summoned his sister and her husband after learning of the incident, he was told Isidra had a paramour.
Manny reportedly said he would have his sister's paramour killed for P1 million.
Maritess said she did not take the threat seriously until her husband was killed late last week.
Pacquiao's sister immediately denied she had an affair with the slain Army sergeant.
She likewise denied his brother had threatened the slain Army soldier.
Manny's mother Dionisia also came to the rescue of her son who is now in the thick of training in the United States.
"Manny has nothing to do with the slaying," Dionisia said in Cebuano when interviewed by a local television station.
The victim's wife, however, vowed to seek justice for her slain husband who retired from the Philippine Army in May this year.
At the time of his death, Francisco was following up his retirement pay.
He left behind six children.
This is the second time Pacquiao's name was implicated in a slay incident.
On August 9, radio reporter Jonathan Abayon succumbed to a bullet wound after he was shot by former Army sergeant William Bael just minutes after leaving the house of Pacquiao.
Although Pacquiao denied any involvement in the slaying of Abayon, some quarters believed the Filipino boxing champ could have shed more light into the incident.
Bael, as Pacquiao admitted, was reportedly his part time bodyguard.
Pacquaio said Bael and Abayon had a drinking session prior to the shooting incident.
A murder charge has been filed against Bael who has gone into hiding.
(September 28, 2004 issue)
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