Cory overshadowed Manny

If the whispers we heard in Las Vegas, and even in Los Angeles later, that the return trip of Manny Pacquiao to Manila was being delayed so he would not arrive on Holy Thursday, and provide more publicity for Malacañang on Monday, then the plans of those who cooked it up were dampened yesterday. This was because the grand welcome set for the returning champion was somehow overshadowed by the shocking news that the beloved and very well respected former president, Cory Aquino, had been diagnosed to be suffering from colon cancer.

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Filipinos could hardly believe that their “Tita Cory”, the woman who gave up the privacy she had so treasured even when her husband basked in the political limelight, could actually be sick. Not Cory, the Lady in Yellow, who stood up to the dictator and brought down an oppressive regime in 1986, survived six – or was it seven? – attempts to overthrow her, served the one term she believed was all that was needed to set the country back on its feet, and refused to hang on to power after that lone term was over.

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I am sure thousands of Filipinos felt like former Senate President Franklin Drilon and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who could not help their tears from falling as they talked about this lady they respected so much. “She is a good lady, a good president” was all Lim could mutter. Drilon said the words many of us wanted to say to her: “We will pray for you and we will be with you all the way”. That, too, is what we want to tell you, Tita Cory. So hang on there, Ma’am!

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In Malacañang, meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made a ceremony of putting on Manny Pacquiao all the three championship belts in boxing that he had won. She also presented him a cake with a boxing ring motif, which was good for the photographers, but up to yesterday afternoon and late last night, the news about Cory Aquino continued to be the Top Story of the day. After all, Manny Pacquiao had been on print and broadcast media for several days now. He won his belt on March 15, and was already a seven-day wonder by Sunday.

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The showing of Pacquiao’s arrival, however, triggered more recollections of the events in Las Vegas leading to his historic fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and subsequent triumph in the ring. I remembered how we watched him in his last training session at the private gym in a certain subdivision in Las Vegas, where he later sat down to sign autographs for the few people privileged to go into the gym. He was in such a good mood that he promptly agreed to sign the front of the T-shirt Sonnie Ramos was wearing. A woman with enormous boobs, wearing a sleeveless and tight-fitting cotton knit blouse, also came forward to have it signed. How we laughed when Manny gingerly poised his sign pen over the twin “mountains of flesh” and signed his name, adding “Pacman” below it. To the woman’s husband who was looking on, he naughtily said “Wala akong ginalaw, ha (I did not touch any thing)”. He also has a sense of humor, this Pacquiao.

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My friend Elvie White, who had come all the way from Montana, was flustered because she did not have anything for him to sign. So she got her crispiest 20-dollar bill and he signed it. Several others followed, and some even used a 100-dollar bill. A lot of greenbacks were demonetized that afternoon. Also at the gym, we discovered a relative, George Martir of Bago City, now a Washington D.C. resident. Also from that city was Lilia Lao, whose mother is the sister of Dionisia, mother of Manny P. Lilia was able to make thiongs much easier for us during our stay. We also met Cecil Abrea, a very successful real estate businessman, and Chuck Corpuz, a musician who was our adviser in betting for the match.

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The four of them are good singers and made up the choir during the masses held at Pacquiao’s suite. I suggested to them that they sing “Give Thanks” at the mass next day, if the Lord granted Manny a victory. And they made it a point to learn the song, and sang it beautifully at the Thanksgiving Mass next day. By the way, during that mass, I noticed Annabelle Rama, mother of Ruffa and the other Gutierrezes in showbiz, come in and join the choral group, but didn’t seem to be singing with them. Maybe it was just a place to stand in, since the seats were limited. Also in the masses were Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, Chavit Singson, Speaker Prospero Nograles, and many other celebrities. Mayor Bing was there, of course, since he was the one asked to do the first reading on both days.*

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