So much for “Pinoy Pride”.
The real surprise was that a lot of people were actually caught off-guard and were taken aback by what Manny Pacquiao said. You’d think people expected some suave, smooth-talking sophisto who can weasel himself out of a relatively difficult question on national TV. He may be a good boxer, but everyone knows verbal sparring isn’t exactly the man’s top selling point.
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Just take a look at the man’s main occupation and background.
He’s a professional boxer. From the Philippines.
Those two factors alone ought to give a very clear picture of the man’s conditioning even if fundamentalist Christian dogma wasn’t even thrown into the mix.
Boxing leans towards — for lack of a better word — homophobic sentiments. It is a brutal sport. Not only must a boxer train to change his body into a weapon, he needs to hone his mind to develop a killer instinct to subjugate his opponent no matter what. Even female athletes of the sport are encouraged to act like alpha males and leave their original gender roles behind because, despite the din of gender equality and feminist rhetoric, it is still a man’s world. In a way, that training regimen and conditioning is similar to boot camp. And anyone who says homosexuality is not frowned upon in that environment (the Armed Forces) should logout of Facebook and start living in the real world. Just because it’s not right does not mean it’s not a reality. Just because fraternities “banned” hazing does not mean it’s the reality in every secret initiation rite.
And he’s from the Philippines — a place where supposed liberal thinking and freedom of speech is patterned after the American style of democracy and liberty. But underneath the liberal and “free-thinking” posturing of a small minority of “social media activists”, the greater population is still stuck in a time warp set in the dark ages. Where skin color, sexual orientation, and exotic features are still the prime fodder for cheap thrills and laughs. Where it is exacerbated by rabid fundamentalist dogma and lack of access to proper education. Where ‘bakla‘ ‘jokla‘ ‘bayot‘ ‘Nognog‘ ‘tutong‘ ‘tibo‘ ‘chekwa‘ ‘mabahong Bumbay‘ et. al. are part of everyday, mundane conversations.
Pacquiao is simply a product of his environment. And to expect him to suddenly transform into some politically correct, articulate man of the world is unrealistic and naive. I’ve read a comment somewhere about how ‘un-statesmanlike’ his conduct was based on that interview.
Well who made a “statesman” out of him anyway? Can you really blame the horse that Caligula appointed to a top government position? Where was the national outrage when he announced his desire to run for public office? Or even just dipping his fingers on professional basketball? Did we not give him a free pass because he was, after all, our “Pambansang Kamao” and uplifted “Pinoy Pride”? Just one statement that pales to what any jerk on the street can come up with and everyone’s suddenly up in arms in indignation.
We put a jackass in position and cut him down to shreds for being a jackass in that position.
Perfect.
[Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports.]
Worker in a private sector hive.
Oi! Rsurtida, Ronnie Kray would like a word with you ’bout there not being homosexuals in the world o’ boxing, ‘e would! Just a friendly talk, yeah? Nuthin’ too rough, mind you. Just ’nuff to straighten out some facts.
Ah yes the other half of the notorious Kray brothers. He, along with Muay Thai fighter Parinya Charoenphol are apparently more of exceptions to the general rule. =)
I’ve been quarelling with people years back, even when Pacqiao was still hinting interests in politics, and again when he entered PBA…and everytime, people throw the same moronic rethoric, “sino ka ba para mag-judge?”, or “ikaw ba may nagawa para sa bayan?”, all in blind defense of this personification of pinoy pride. The singing and acting you can forgive, but you lose much respect for him when he chose to promote mediocracy in basketball and politics,just by being a part of it. After all the great things he did in boxing, it is confusing and disturbing that he could have the same quality as his many of his followers- a mindset of a turd.
That’s the real issue. That whole fiasco would not have happened had Pacquiao not been an elected official in the first place. And that’s what the average Pinoy can’t wrap his head around. That the boxer should not have been voted into office in the first place. All aspects of his stint as a public servant had been one embarrassing dud after another. But as always, the real joke’s on the chumps who put him there to represent them.
Indeed, I can’t agree more.
To: rsurtida…
Right on the button.. nothing more to say.
So much so, for Pacquiao. His head was beaten repeatedly in boxing. It may had affected his brain…So, his brain is not working right.
It is unfortunate, that people elected him as Congressman. Now, he is an absentee Congressman.
The man earns millions of dollars in professional boxing. Would you expect him to earn peanuts, as a Congressman? He did not graduate from elementary grade level. Would you expect him to understand legislation?
So, whose fault, if ignorant people elected him
Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.
I’m from General Santos City. He helped a lot of people by giving the poor a portion of his winnings almost in every fight. A lot of his people (mostly in the same barangay his mother is living) lining up to get food stuff. He was unstoppable in giving even sometimes his mother worried that he is just giving too much and burning his savings. He just shrugged it off and said politely “hindi naman natin madadala sa langit ung pera mama”. He is known as a very generous person.
But to the people of Gensan, this does not translates to votes when he decided to run for Congressman post. He lost the election in General Santos City and was upset of the outcome as he spent a lot of money (rumors said he spent more than P68million. This is not normal for a regular campaign of the politicians running in General Santos City.It is way too much). For the people of Gensan, the Pacquiaos can’t win a major post in the city only in the barangay level like Barangay captain. This manifested last election when his brother Bobby run for Congressman.
He eventually run in Sarangani province which was the place of his wife. Sure enough he won there for a landslide and bitten down the long running dynasty of Chongbian clan. He won there because the people mostly are poor and uneducated. He promised a hospital and giving out cards for them to present when the hospital is already constructed and they can get free hospitalization. Most people from Saranggani province does not a good hospital and they go to General Santos City to every major illness they suffer. Until now the hospital far from being materialized. Pacquiao is only good in dole-outs and giving randomly to people in need. We can’t question that. But his capability to govern a city or state should be questioned and considered. Pacquiao is a good man but when it comes to political will, leadership and governance, he is not different to those existence politicians based on his promises to his constituents as I witness and talked to my friends living in his scope of governance. He is good in giving. Period.That’s why he can’t win in our place in General Santos City to get a higher post in the government. The people of Gensan knows and adore him of being an exceptional accomplished athlete but not in the political arena.