Be sensitive, lawmakers chide colleagues bound for Pacquiao fight in Vegas

Lawmakers who will fly off to Las Vegas to watch Filipino champ Manny Pacquiao's boxing bout should rethink their plan considering how many Filipinos are still reeling from the effects of disasters that recently hit the country, their colleagues in the House of Representatives said Tuesday. A number of congressmen who will not be going to Pacquiao's fight against Puerto Rican boxer Miguel Cotto made this call after House Speaker Prospero Nograles, who is set to leave Friday to watch the fight live in Las Vegas, justified the plan by saying lawmakers will be using their own money for their trip. "It's not a question of money. It is sensitivity to the pains of those who lost much - and there were many - during the typhoons," said Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, chairman of the committee on revision of laws, in a text message to GMANews.TV. "A trip abroad is a junket. It can't be masked any other way," he added. Aggabao's province was one of those hard-hit by Typhoon Pepeng, which ravaged several parts of Luzon late last month. Parts of Baguio City and Benguet were buried in landslides; more than half of Pangasinan towns were flooded because of the heavy rains and the release of water from the San Roque Dam. Pepeng hit the country only a few weeks after Tropical Storm Ondoy, which brought in record rainfall, caused massive floods in several parts of Metro Manila and surrounding areas such as Bulacan and Rizal. The floods left hundreds dead and thousands more homeless. Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said the lawmakers who will fly to Las Vegas should just donate the money they will spend to relief and rehabilitation for calamity victims. "Solons' personal presence at Pacquiao's fight isn't part of legislative work, it isn't crucial or necessary to Pacquiao's victory," Ocampo added in a text message to GMANews.TV. Breaking a personal commitment Sports aficionado Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella, who covered Pacquiao fights live from the ringside for a radio station, said he will not go to Las Vegas for the Pacquiao-Cotto fight in solidarity with victims of the November 2 fire that killed 17 people, including an 11-month-old baby, and left 80 families homeless in his district. "This year, in solidarity with the families and victims of the fire, I decided to break a personal commitment and tradition and opted not to be at the ring side," Puentevella said in a statement. "I believe it is but fitting and proper that the personal money that I will be spending for the trip will instead be channeled to the relief and rehabilitation efforts of my congressional district office for those badly affected by the November 2 fire," he added. House members have long been criticized for flying off to Pacquiao's fights abroad in great numbers, at times causing problems in mustering a quorum during plenary sessions. Nograles justified congressmen's leaving at this time by saying they would be using their personal funds and regular passports. Likewise, House deputy secretary general Elisa Navalta also said no House member has applied for travel authority that will enable the lawmaker to use his or her diplomatic passport. "Hindi kami nagpo-process ng travel authority ng mga congressmen na pupunta sa mga Pacquiao fight (We don't process application for travel authority of congressmen who go to Pacquiao fights)," she told GMANews.TV. "Ever since naman e wala kaming pino-process na ganun (We have never done that)." Just at home Even as they said they respect the judgment of their colleagues, other congressmen said in text messages to GMANews.TV that they would rather stay in the country to watch the boxing match in malls or in their own districts. Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said he has never watched a Pacquiao fight abroad even though he considers the boxing champ a "hero" in a sense. "I better stay put to attend our sessions and watch the fight on TV and bear those irritatingly lengthy commercials on Sunday," Rodriguez said. Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon said: "I wouldn't spend money, even if it was my own, just to go to Las Vegas to watch a boxing match. I watch Pacquiao fights at home." Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla said he usually watches Pacquiao fights at the SM Mall of Asia, while Paranaque City Rep. Roilo Golez, a boxing aficionado, said he would watch the Pacquiao-Cotto fight at SM Bicutan as usual. Last week, deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said that while Malacañang cannot stop lawmakers from flying to Las Vegas, they should take into consideration that there are still several pending measures in Congress. [See: Palace dissuades lawmakers from watching Pacquiao bout] Among those are the controversial Reproductive Health bill, which is still up for floor deliberations, and other revenue-generating legislation such as the proposals to impose taxes on sin products such as alcohol and cigarettes, which is still in the committee-level. Despite Malacanang's advice, however, Nograles justified their trip. "Like you (reporters), congressmen also have the freedom of movement, especially if they are going on their own," he told reporters on Monday. [See: Solons to fly to Pacquiao despite Palace advise] - GMANews.TV