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For the past 20 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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PACMAN'S POWER. Manny Pacquiao, left, of the Philippines, connects with a left hook on the head of Erik Morales of Mexico, during third round of their super featherweight boxing match, Saturday night, Nov. 18 in Las Vegas. (MNSwire photo)
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LAS VEGAS -- A quick, dynamic decision really shouldn’t have been much of a surprise in Manny Pacquiao’s third fight with Erik Morales.
After all, Pacquiao never has been a man to waste time.
The 27-year-old Filipino phenomenon seems to be blasted from a cannon in his fights, pounding away at his opponents with a tempo and ferocity most can only admire. His interests outside the ring are varied and extensive as well — from acting to singing, from endorsements to politics.
And in less than nine minutes on Saturday, November 18, Pacquiao (43-3-2, 33 KOs) accomplished a stunning amount of work.
He fought one of the most entertaining three-round matches in recent years, complete with knockdowns and ample violence; cemented his status as one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters; and probably sent Morales (48-5) off to his own budding political career with a brutal thrashing ending in a knockout with 3 seconds left in the third round.
“I thought it was going to be a long fight, more action,” Pacquiao said in his festive post-fight news conference moments after his victory — while another party raged halfway across the world in the Philippines, where his fights are cause for national celebration.
“I never imagined it would be like this. I think everybody got to see something exciting.”
What the sellout crowd saw was a recital by a fighter at the top of his skills, a tornado of punching power and tenacity. Pacquiao bravely took several hard shots from Morales, but replied with many more — until the third knockdown forced Morales to shake his head at his corner.
Pacquiao must be included in any discussion of the world’s top boxers — but in the Philippines, there’s no doubt about the love for the gutsy national hero.
The fight was broadcast live in selected cinemas, malls and via the pay-per-view telecast. It also played for free in Manila sports centers, where people found out first about Manny’s victory.
“My heart beats with extreme joy with another victory for the Philippines,” President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a statement from Hanoi, where she was attending a summit.
“We all gathered around in our homes and places of work, in the streets and farms to pray for Manny. Manny will always be our hero, the bearer of the Filipino dream of winning the good fight in all fields of human endeavor. He will always be the people’s champ.”
Morales seems resigned to retirement after four losses in his last five fights, saying afterward that he would only fight again if the match could be held in his Tijuana, Mexico hometown to thank his fans.
Pacquiao will fight again early next year, but it’s too soon to say who he’ll face — perhaps Venezuela’s Edwin Valero, if Top Rank’s Bob Arum has his way — or who will promote him.
Pacquiao was promoted by Arum’s Top Rank outfit for this fight — but shortly before training camp, he signed a deal with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, which reportedly hopes to match him with Marco Antonio Barrera in March.
But Arum announced on Saturday that Pacquiao wanted to renounce his deal with Golden Boy, even attempting to return a $500,000 (€391,000) advance after recently signing a new four-year deal with Top Rank. As with most boxing disputes, it will be resolved in court.
At this point in his stellar career, perhaps only a promotion dispute could put Pacquiao on the defensive.
“I apologize,” he said when asked about the dispute. “I don’t want to discuss that. I want to spend time with my family and go back to the Philippines to celebrate my victory.”
It may not be the fight on the horizon right now, but Manny Pacquiao’s manager, Shelly Finkel, believes that the next step for the Filipino ring sensation should be Marco Antonio Barrera.
“It’s the best fight for [Pacquiao] right now,” said Finkel, reacting to reports that a fight with WBC super featherweight champion Barrera is far from the picture.
Top Rank Promotions, which recently won the tug-of-war to promote Pacquiao, is not too keen on the fight and plans another bout in Macau against a still unnamed opponent.
“This [Barrera tiff] is the fight that can bring in the money for Manny,” said Finkel.
Barrera, part of the trinity of Mexican boxing gods that Pacquiao had all sent to the canvas, is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions
The outfit had tried to lure Pacquiao away from the Bob Arum-headed Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao’s fights.
Top Rank has hinted that the Macau bout could be against Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero.
Finkel said there are a lot of creases to be ironed before a Barrera match can be worked out. On top of that list is the impending lawsuit Golden Boy is set to file against Top Rank anytime this week.
A source said Golden Boy has an air-tight case against Top Rank because it holds a contract signed by Pacquiao. Golden Boy signed Pacquiao to a seven-fight deal last September when Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles to train for his Grand Finale bout against Erik Morales.
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HANOI — Diplomatic ties between the United States and the Philippines are getting stronger, just as the size of US President George W. Bush’s waistline is growing because of the delicious dishes whipped up by his Filipino-American chef.
“Commenting on the good relations between the Philippines and the United States, the US President said this is so especially since the cook in the White House is a Filipino-American and if you notice the paunch, it’s because the food is very, very good,” Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye
quoted the US leader as telling President Arroyo.
The two leaders met at the sidelines of the 14th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit here.
The Pinay chef mentioned is Cristeta Comerford, the executive chef at the White House.
The 42-year-old Comerford, a veteran of the White House kitchen for 10 years, was selected last August by US First Lady Laura Bush after screening hundreds of applicants for six months.
She was described as even-tempered and unflappable by her predecessor Walter Scheib.
Comerford was born Cristeta Gomez Pasia on Oct. 27, 1962. Her father, Honesto, was an assistant principal in a public elementary school in Manila while her mother, Erlinda, was a homemaker.
She finished grade school at the Padre Gomez Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila and her secondary education at the Manila Science High School.
Comerford studied food technology at the University of the Philippines in Diliman in 1979.
The meeting between Bush and Mrs. Arroyo, which lasted a little over 10 minutes at the Hanoi International Convention Center, followed the hour-long discussion Bush had with heads of states of Asian countries.
Present during the meeting were US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Trade Secretary Peter Favila and members of each side’s delegations.
Bunye described the talks as “affable” even as more serious topics were discussed such as counter-terrorism cooperation and negotiations for a free trade agreement.
Mrs. Arroyo commented that Bush “looked good” and “rested” despite his grueling schedule in recent weeks, to which the American leader said he was looking forward to going back to his sprawling Texas ranch for Thanksgiving. He added that Mrs. Arroyo also “looks good.”
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio said Bush patted Mrs. Arroyo on the back as they stood up and ended their meeting.
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CHICAGO, Illinois (JGL) – Nineteen-year-old Filipino immigrant Reynaldo B. Brucal Jr. pleaded guilty Wednesday, November 15, to raping a severely and mentally handicapped resident of a health care facility at suburban Bloomingdale, Illinois that must have occurred in the late part of 2004, which gave birth to a daughter.
Brucal faces “a maximum prison term of 30 years,” according to his lawyer Frank T. Scarpino, quoting Illinois State prosecutors.
Scarpino told this reporter in an interview that he has not yet explored the possibility of presenting in court mitigating circumstances, like asking the court to cut short
the sentence of Mr. Brucal so he can take care of his daughter.
Sentencing is set on December 13, when a presentencing report is due.
Brucal’s plea came up during the trial of the case when Brucal admitted before 18th Judicial Felony Circuit Judge George J. Bakalis at suburban Wheaton, Illinois an “open admission of guilt” during a blind plea. A blind plea means that the defendant and the State have no agreement to what his sentence will be. The term of the sentence is in the discretion of the judge.
“We tried every imaginable means” to avoid conviction but “there was no way we could go around with it,” Scarpino added, saying that his request for a “second opinion for a DNA test” confirmed the initial DNA test of the child conducted by investigators matched Brucal’s. Brucal initially denied any sexual contact with the 23-year-old woman, who is afflicted with cerebral palsy and cannot walk or communicate.
In November 2005, Brucal confessed, claiming that a latex hospital glove he improvised as a condom failed, according to DuPage Assistant State’s Atty. Robert Berlin.
Brucal, a native of Lucena City in the Philippines, did not look at the members of his family, including his father and his mother, or the victim’s family on Wednesday as he answered Bakalis’ routine questions. The woman, who is now staying in another nursing home with her similarly disabled twin sister, was not in court.
A green card holder, Brucal is going to be deported shortly after he serves out his sentence, according to Judge Bakalis. The sentence could range from six to 30 years.
Brucal, a resident of 1066 N. Knollwood, Schaumburg, Illinois, was originally charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault of physically handicapped person and another two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault of person profoundly mentally retarded.
These four charges were reduced to three as there were duplication of the charges. Each count carries a six to 30 years imprisonment.
The woman was seven months pregnant when staffers at Alden Village Health Facility for Children and Young Adults in Bloomingdale noticed the prenancy. Police were called after doctors confirmed the pregnancy.
Her baby was delivered by Caesarian section on July 2005. Berlin said DNA tests for all male staff members of the facility showed results matching with Brucal to the child, which happens in one in 356 millions.
Brucal was immediately arrested and held without bond.
The grandmother of the woman expressed relief that the case was over. It is the victim’s mother who is taking care of the 16-month-old child.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), himself a decorated war veteran, told Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa that “it’s makeup time on the veterans’ issue” and requested the envoy to relay this message to President Gloria Arroyo: “Tell her I will not fail her.”
Inouye re-filed the Veterans Equity Act in the Senate and its counterpart bill in the Lower House was re-filed by Rep. Bob Filner.
Filipino American World War ll veterans have expressed hope that the incoming Democrat-dominated Congress would move swiftly to support the bill.
During their meeting last week at the Senator’s office, the legislator from Hawaii said that he ”feels that the Philippines has been short-changed and that he “will try to undo what the US had done,” referring to the Us Congress having reneged on its promise to grant benefits to Filipino World War II veterans.
Inouye described it as “a blemish on our morality.”
Gaa said that “Senator Inouye, a long-standing ally of the Philippines and a staunch advocate of full equity benefits for Filipino veterans, has been unrelenting in pursuing this campaign.”
He added that “the senator’s fierce determination should inspire the entire Filipino-American community to unite, once and for all, on the veterans issue, which is a top priority of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”
In his latest demonstration of backing for the Philippine government, Inouye has been working to obtain emergency aid for the Philippines in the wake of typhoon “Milenyo” which devastated the country’s seven regions and affected over 800,000 families.
“Senator’s Inouye’s initiative to come to our help in time of great need underscores his deep and abiding concern for the welfare of the Filipino people,” Gaa said.
Gaa also briefed Inouye on the Philippine government’s headways in the counter-terrorism campaign which includes two components: military and economic. He pointed out that the ceasefire between the government and MILF was holding and that the only issue which remains to be resolved is the issue of ancestral domain.
Inouye commented that “the Philippines has done extremely well (on counter-terrorism), but most Americans don’t realize that, considering that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) only has some 126,000 troops.”
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