DALLAS – Manny Pacquiao won’t need to run after Joshua Clottey.
In fact, it’s the challenger from Ghana who might end up chasing the Filipino inside the ring on Saturday before an expected sellout, star-studded crowd at the Cowboys Stadium.
That’s what he said. That’s what he intends to do.
“I will let him fight and try to beat me. I really want to see how he fights. I will make him want me. That’s my game plan,” said Clottey in his thick African accent during Wednesday’s press conference.
Clottey faced the media for close-up interviews right after the press conference, and on the other end of the stage Pacquiao did the same, fielding questions, mostly old ones just seeking new answers.
“I’m not going to back up. I’m not going to go backward. I’m going to stay in there. Wherever he goes. I’ll cut off the ring,” said Clottey, who thinks of himself as an unbeaten fighter despite his 35-3 record.
GenSan businessmen see hope with PGMA’s calamity declaration over Mindanao power crisis
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) – Businessmen here and the neighboring areas are cautiously supporting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of the entire Mindanao on Thursday under the state of calamity as they hope for an immediate end to the worsening power crisis in the island.
Antonio Veneracion, director of the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., said Friday they were not much concerned with the President’s calamity declaration and were keen on supporting it as long as it would be focused on mainly resolving the lingering power crisis in the island.
“I’m assuming that the government will now step in and take the necessary remedial measures that will correct this worsening problem,” he said.
Veneracion, who is administrator of the St. Elizabeth Hospital here, said they desperately want the power crisis to end soon since most businesses in the area were already losing millions of pesos due to the effects of the brownouts, which already stretched to 12 hours daily during the last two weeks.
He said they could now hardly cope with their growing losses, specifically from the reduced sales or revenues and the high costs of using generator sets during brownouts.
“Business is severely being affected by what is happening now so it must be resolved soon,” he said.
When Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao faces Joshua Clottey of Ghana in the ring on Sunday (Saturday in the U.S.) in Texas to defend his welterweight crown, the Ampatuan clan won’t be in the audience at the Dallas Cowboys stadium to cheer him like in his past fights.
Twelve prominent members of the powerful family, which counts among Pacquiao’s biggest patrons and fans, and 16 of their relatives have been implicated in the Nov. 23 massacre in Maguindanao and are either detained or at large.
Of the 12, Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay town, is being held at the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila on charges of masterminding the multiple murders. The patriarch, former Maguindanao governor Andal Sr., is confined in a military hospital in Davao City, while his sons Zaldy, Anwar and Sajid, and brother-in-law Akmad "Tato" Ampatuan Sr. are detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in General Santos City on charges of rebellion and multiple murder.
The other six—grandsons Saudi Jr., Bahnarin and Anwar "Ipi" Ampatuan Jr., Kanor Datumanong Ampatuan, Mama Ampatuan and Norodin Ampatuan—have yet to be arrested.
On Tuesday, an alleged former hitman of the Ampatuans being considered as state witness in the massacre, said he twice served as one of the security escorts of the Ampatuans when they went to Las Vegas to watch the fights of Pacquiao.
According to the alleged hitman who goes by the alias "Jesse," the most recent of these was the Nov. 14 Pacquiao match with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, a little over a week before the country’s worst case of pre-election violence took place. The massacre left 58 civilians, including at least 30 journalists, dead.
Electric coop eyes construction of mini hydro power plants in South Cotabato
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) -– Power distribution utility South Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Socoteco) is pushing for the immediate development of mini hydroelectric plants in at least two major river systems in South Cotabato to help stabilize the area’s power requirements within the next two to three years.
Engr. Santiago Tudio, Socoteco-I general manager, said they are currently studying the viability of developing the river systems in Lake Sebu and Tampakan towns in South Cotabato as alternative power resources in the wake of the worsening power shortage in Mindanao.
He said their initial assessment showed that the river system in Sepaka, Lake Sebu and in Barangay Tablu in Tampakan have potentials of generating at least 20-megawatts (MW) of renewable power supplies.
“These resources may later stabilize our power requirements and even supply the needs of our neighboring areas,” he told the Philippines News Agency.
Tudio said they initially proposed to the Provincial Development Council (PDC) of South Cotabato for the development of a 10 MW hydroelectric plant in Lake Sebu town.
He said that based on estimates, the construction of the hydroelectric plant will cost at least P120 million per megawatt or a total of P1.1 billion.
“Right now, we’re trying to bring in some domestic and foreign investors to finance the project,” Tudio said.
DALLAS, Texas (AFP) - Manny Pacquiao, who is making his first defense of his WBO title, says he is confident he can maintain his speed and power as he moves up in class to fight bigger and stronger opponents.
This will be the second consecutive true welterweight fight for the Filipino superstar who goes into Saturday's bout as the heavy favorite despite giving away a height and an eight centimeters (three inches) reach advantage to Ghana's Joshua Clottey.
Speaking at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday at the new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao insists he is not taking Clottey lightly.
''Clottey is a good fighter,'' said Pacquiao, who has won 11 consecutive fights. ''He is so strong and he is bigger and taller than me.
''I don't want to underestimate this opponent. I am going to do my best and give it a shot.''
A crowd of 45,000 is expected for Saturday's fight which will showcase Pacquiao's blazing hand speed and quick footwork against Clottey's strength and ring savvy. It is the first time that a boxing card has been held in the new home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.
Pacquiao showed up Wednesday with a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader on each arm before taking the podium to pose for pictures with Clottey.
There was none of the trash talking that is usually associated with fights of this magnitude as both boxers expressed a liking for each other.
in Sports by ABS-CBN, 13-03-10 00:42
