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Friday, August 31, 2007
Court refers P4.8M suit vs boxing champ for mediation
By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
DAVAO -- Boxer Diosdado "Prince" Gabi denied Thursday he duped North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol in his managerial contract.
Gabi denied Piñol's allegations during the arraignment of his case at the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 2 in Davao City, Thursday.
Councilor Diosdado Angelo Mahipus acted as his legal counsel.
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Municipal Trial Court Judge Antonina Escovilla ruled to refer the case to the mediation unit pursuant to a Supreme Court circular before proceeding to the preliminary investigation.
Gabi was arrested on August 21 by virtue of the arrest warrant issued by Escovilla. Gabi posted a bail of P5,000 for his temporary liberty.
Piñol filed a case against Gabi way back in 2005 for violation of managerial contract.
In his complaint, Piñol is asking for P4.8 million saying that Gabi duped him and reneged on their contract.
Piñol claimed Gabi left his training camp some years back without notifying him or asking for his permission.
The vice governor started handling Gabi in early 2003 after paying P150,000 to Gabi's former manager, Roger Sumampong.
According to Piñol Gabi came to him begging that he should be taken in as one of his boxers claiming he was being exploited by Sumampong and was only receiving P5,000 per fight.
"When Gabi started fighting under us, we drew up an ambitious plan that would bring him to the world championship within three years. A television program was started and all fights involving Gabi were shown to boost his popularity. After two fights, we pitted him against WBC International Flyweight champion Randy Mangubat, also a Filipino, and Gabi won the title," Piñol in a statement said.
He said Gabi fought seven times before he disappeared from Braveheart's Boxing Club, Piñol's boxing company.
Piñol recalled that his problem with Gabi started in 2004 when he turned down the offer of Canadian disbarred lawyer Michael Koncz to buy his managerial rights on Gabi.
Koncz was with boxing icon Manny Pacquiao during Gabi's fight at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on December 19, 2004.
In 2005, Gabi left camp and disappeared by arrangements were made for World Boxing Cup title eliminator against Nicaragua's Rosendo Alvarez.
Piñol said he learned from Gabi's father that the boxer wanted to retire from boxing to go back to the farm.
It was later learned that Koncz, who knew there was no manager-boxer contract filed with the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), had already given Gabi's family at least P300,000 and plans were already made to bring him to the US via Cebu City.
"I felt so stupid having that meeting with the father. My family and I felt so bad not because we did not want to let go of Gabi but because we felt an injustice was done against us. But we were willing to forget the whole thing and consider it part of a learning experience. That was until stories started appearing in the newspaper and the internet quoting Koncz as saying that the reason why Gabi left was because he was not given his rightful share of his prize money," Piñol said.
"This was what angered me. I could not sleep over the fact that 'Naloko na nga ako, ginagago pa nila ako.' It was because of this that I asked my lawyer, the late Lawyer Jesus "Baby" Zozobrado of Davao City to file a case against Gabi and Koncz. The case against Koncz was dropped because there was no document to prove his involvement in the deceit," Piñol added.(Sun.Star Davao)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (August 31, 2007 issue)
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