Congrats Pacman!

Pacquiao knocks out Morales in 10th

LAS VEGAS — Will somebody please book Manny Pacquiao a berth in the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF)?

While enshrinement in the prestigious body would come only after his retirement, Pacquiao showed on Saturday night why he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with the greats of the sport like Muhammad Ali as he destroyed the previously indestructible Erik Morales in front of 14,618 people at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, US.

But pulling off the trick — a masterpiece 10th-round stoppage — against the never-been-stopped Morales did not come in handy.

Pacquiao had to eat Morales’ sledgehammer right straight in the first round, take several piston-like left jabs from start to finish before scoring his biggest victory to date, surpassing even another masterful performance against another fabled Mexican, Marco Antonio Barrera, in late 2003.

The end came for Morales at 2:33 of the 10th round when Pacquiao, 27, dropped him for the second time in the round with an avalanche of rights and lefts.

Referee Kenny Bayless did not even bother to count as Morales, 29, had been down earlier from a jarring left.

All three judges had Pacquiao winning at the time of the stoppage. Paul Smith and Jerry Roth both saw it 87-84, while Dave Moretti had it 86-85.

With a large Philippine contingent behind every punch he threw, Pacquiao thus cemented his status as an all-time great considering the caliber of the opponent he just beat up.

Pacquiao had been criticized as being a one-dimensional slugger who only has got a left hand to show. But in dismantling the iron-chinned Morales, who had never been put away in over 50 fights, Pacquiao proved he’s got a pair of fists that could bore holes into a sandbag.

The power on his hands was so devastating that shots to the ribcage and abdomen ripened Morales up for the kill.

Pacquiao struck with intent so deadly that when the third man on the ring intervened, there was no protest that came from Morales’ camp.

So drained of his strength and overwhelmed was Morales that in the end, his face looked as though somebody hit it with a baseball bat.

Pacquiao’s face was also marked with bruises, but the pain that he felt was from the swollen left hand that he used in re-arranging the Mexican’s facial features.

Morales was brought to Valley Medical center for "precautionary measures," according to promoter Bob Arum, and could be suffering from a broken nose.

While Pacquiao took the opening round, it was Morales who came up with the round’s most terrifying shot, a right straight to the kisser of the Filipino, who later denied that he’d been hurt.

"I wasn’t hurt," said Pacquiao. "I was just off-balanced."

Later in his majestic suite at the Wynn Las Vegas, Pacquiao said he never thought about losing the fight.

"I was confident that I can really beat him. In the sixth round, I knew I already had him because his punches were no longer strong and he really looked tired," said Pacquiao, who raised his win-loss-draw record to 41-3-2 with 32 knockouts.

Morales said later that he had a hard time making the limit of 130 lbs, although he did not say that this was the reason why he lost. His record dropped to 48-4 with 23 wins inside the distance.

It was Morales’ second straight setback following a loss to Zahir Raheem in September in Los Angeles. This was the first time that Morales lost back-to-back bouts.


(From Manila Bulletin, P.1, January 23, 2006 issue)

Death penalty for killer of Cebuano photojournalist

Death sentence. Edgar Belandres (middle) was sentenced to death penalty after Regional Trial Court Branch 5 Judge Ireneo Lee Gako found him guilty in the murder of Cebuano photojournalist Allan Dizon on Nov. 27, 2005. (Photo by Mars W. Mosqueda Jr.)

Death penalty for killer of Cebuano photojournalist
Text and Photo by MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.

CEBU CITY - A Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge here sentenced to death the accused in the murder of Cebuano photojournalist Allan Dizon, who was gunned down on Nov. 27, 2004.

RTC Branch 5 Judge Ireneo Lee Gako sentenced Edgar Belandres, 40, with the maximum penalty of death after he found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt in the murder of Allan Dizon, photojournalist of local newspaper The Freeman and Banat News.

Gako gave weight to the testimonies of the prosecutions witnesses, saying the witnesses were credible and though it was their first time to take the witness stand, the witnesses gave out a spontaneous account of the incident.

Dizon, 31, was shot by a man last November 27, 2004 at Five Star Car wash at the North Reclamation Area were he was expecting somebody who earlier texted him that they will see each other there.

The judge's clerk read out the summary of the ruling but it was Judge Gako who personally gave out the penalty.

"Wherefore, I found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced him to death," Gako said inside his sala that was filled up with representatives from both the prosecution and defense team.

Judge Gako said he was not happy with his decision but the evidences and facts presented to him by both the prosecution and defense team forced him to hand out the maximum penalty of death to Belandres.

"I am not guilty, I did not kill Allan," Belandres shouted as he hugged his wife and kids following the handing out of the sentence.

But Dizon's wife Amelina said she was happy with the result of the case and strongly insisted that it was indeed Belandres who shot dead her husband more than a year ago.

Belandres, through lawyer Pedro Leslie Salva, earlier filed a two-page motion to defer the promulgation originally scheduled last December 20, citing the spirit of Christmas as the main reason.

The statements of witnesses Epifanio Barcuma, Justiniano Doller, and Alma Maraveles were given weight by Judge Gako in handing out his resolution of the case. All testified that Belandres was the one who shot and killed Dizon.

Witnesses said they were 10 to 15 meters away when they saw Belandres walking to a corner without a helmet.
When he saw Dizon arriving at the car wash, Belandres allegedly put on the helmet and went to the motorcycle where his companion waited.

Belandres was arrested a day after Dizon was laid to rest.

The arrest of Belandres, 39, in his house in Barangay Lorega, Cebu City came two days after the deadline for Task Force Newsmen 7 to solve the case. #

Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales fight

I'm really not a sports fan, much more a boxing afficionado, but I was one of those who registered for the pay-per-view offer of Dream Satellite for the fight of Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales.

I had to dole out P300 to watch the fight live and direct this Sunday, Jan. 22., at the comfort of my home. Of course, those who don't have Satellite connection must bear the fact that the boxing fight will surely be bombarded with gazillions of commercials. In fact, the commercials will even be longer than the 3-minute per round fight.

I don't know what's with Pacquiao that so many people are going gaga over him everytime he climbs the boxing arena. We've had so many great fighters before - Espinosa, Peñalosa to name a few - but this southpaw from General Santos City is a real crowd drawer.

He is also the richest boxer the country has ever had. With this fight against Morales, Pacquiao is assured (win or loss) of a purse that is equivalent to P100 million. Should he win this fight, Pacquiao is assured of a $3-million purse on his next fight, whoever his opponent is.

With the political turmoil, economic crisis, and civil unrest in the country, Filipinos find a respite from the hassles of daily living in the fight of Pacquiao. Bored by the usual political bickerings being played up in televisions and other media, the people see the boxing fight as a needed breather.

Win or loss, Pacquiao will always be in the hearts of the millions of Filipinos who have seen their own hopes and dreams in every punch that Pacquiao gives out.

Here's wishing you good luck Manny!

Press(ed) Freedom

I fully and unequivocally support the position of the National Press Club against proposals to tinker with the Bill of Rights.

The NPC expressed concern about a proposal of the Consultative Commission to revise the Bill of Rights, particularly on freedom of speech and of the press, something that was not done even during the darkest days of martial law.

NPC president Tony Antonio noted that since the American colonial period, there was never an attempt to trample on the people's sacred right to free expression and the existence of an unrestrained press.

Antonio said the Con-Com's draft Constitution proposes in Article IV. The Bill of Rights, that no law shall be passed abridging the "responsible" exercise of the "freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances."

He noted that the Con-Com added the word "responsible" to the old provision.

And what do Con-Com members mean by adding the word "responsible" to the original context of the freedom of the press? So they could tinker with the affairs of the media by filing charges or slapping us with printed copies of the new constitution when they feel they are offended by reports of their corruptions?

Clearly, Con-Com members or whoever are behind them have agendas darker than the color of their armpits. They want to shut down the media people who are going paparazzis over the politicos illegal activities. They want to pinch the eyes of the never-blinking reporter whose main goal is to report to the public the different activities of the people who have been enjoying the proceeds of the public's taxes.

Yes, they could change the terms of their offices, extend the calendar days of their long overdue projects, or wipe the asses of their bosses, but for God's sake, leave the media and the freedom of the press alone.

Myla, Bohol's New Hero

Myla's parents wanted her to take up medicine or nursing in college but the dimunitive Boholana from Inabangga town was firm on her decision to join the US Army. Myla was born in Bohol and moved to Hawai’i in 1997.She joined the Army Reserve after graduating fromLeilehua. She attended Leeward Community College andplanned to attend Hawai'i Pacific University beforebeing called to active duty.

Myla belonged to the US Army Reserve`s 203rdMilitary Intelligence Battalion, and had receivedmilitary training in 1998 at Fort Jackson in SouthCarolina, which is the largest and most active InitialEntry Training Center in the United States Army.

On November, 2005 Myla was called to serve in Iraq for a one-year combat duty. She didn't hesitate. Myla had the blood of Dagohoy, Bohol's local hero, running on her nerves, and serving in Iraq was a fulfillment of her dream to serve her new country, the US, in the battlefield.

On December 24, 2005, Myla has chosen not to call her mother yet to greet her advance merry Christmas because she was in the battlefield in Al Hawijah, northern Iraq. The 24-year-old Boholana was driving a Humvee vehicleduring a routine patrol when Iraqi insurgents firedrocket-propelled grenades, killing her instantly.

Flags fly at half-mast in theentire province of Bohol as the body of the Boholana U.S.Army Sgt. arrived at the airport in Tagbilaran City last Wednesday, accompanied by twouniformed US soldiers and non-uniformed personnel.


Hundreds of grieving Boholanos waited outside the airport as the plane that carried the body of Myla touched down at 9:20 a.m. Among those who waited for the Boholana soldier were her mother Estelita, Inabanga Mayor Josephine Jumamoy, officialsof the provincial overnment, students, relatives andfriends.

"I am so happy that she is finally here," said theteary-eyed Estelita, who saw the body of her slaindaughter for the first time after Myla was killed in Al Hawijah in northern Iraq.

"She is a real hero. She has dedicated her life toserve the people," Mayor Jumamoy said, as the crowdcarried banners welcoming the arrival of Inabanga's favorite daughter.Myla's body was brought to a local funeral parlor here.

US military officials were expected to arrive inInabanga next week for Myla's burial where she wouldbe given full military honors. She will be buried nextto her father's grave.

Myla has proven once again that there are still Filipinos who are willing to offer their lives in the service of their fellowmen. And though Bohol lost a brave remnant of Dagohoy, Myla's name will forever be itched in the mind and hearts of the Boholanos as the brave Inabangga girl who offered her life in service of her country.


.

My condolences

... to the family and relatives of

• former Sen. Robert Barbers
• former Supreme Court Justice Cecilia Palma
• Judge Gingoyon
• victims of vigilantes in Cebu

my condolences