'Friends' quarrel for Pacquiao's belt like their meals are at stake

"It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it." -- George Washington

By Alex P. Vidal

Fans must be wondering why in Manny Pacquiao's last four fights, no one was carrying his championship belts in the ring during the introduction ceremony. Aside from the regular WBO strap, he is a life-time "title holder" of Ring Magazine's championship belt.
Cris Aquino was no longer around to carry the Philippine flag. In almost all of Pacquiao's previous fights in the United States, we saw Evelio "Bing" Leonardia raising Pacquiao's belt while grinning from ear to ear like he hit a casino jackpot.
Everytime Pacquiao fought in the United States, Leonardia had to take a leave as mayor of Bacolod City to mount the American ring with the rest of Team Pacquiao. In Pacquao's last four fights, Leonardia, now a Bacolod city congressman, was still there, but he no longer was carrying Pacquiao's belt (this can be verified in the video of Pacquiao's previous fights). 

AWARE

Leonardia was aware that he had been the subject of envy, intrigues and ugly gossips from some Pacquiao minions jealous of his exposure to the global media. "Dati ako ang humahawak ng belt ni Manny," sobbed Lito Mondejar, Pacquiao's former promoter in "Mano Mano", a weekly boxing promotion in Manila where Pacquiao was discovered in the 90's. While we were having lunch at Denny's in Las Vegas, Mondejar chortled: "Sila mismo ang nag o offer sa sarili nila. Yan namang si Manny hindi naman maka hindi mabait kasi." (I was the one previously assigned to carry the belt. They were the ones who offered themselves and Manny Pacquiao could not say no.)
Leonardia was unfazed. He insisted it was Pacquiao, now his colleague in congress and kumpare (the Bacolod solon acted as godfather of Pacquiao's child), who invited him to carry the boxer's belt. He had been carrying the belt uninterrupted since June 28, 2008 when Pacquiao wrecked via 9th round TKO David Diaz for WBC lightweight title at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
To be seen with Pacquiao inside the ring during introduction ceremony, watched by millions of TV audience worldwide, is a dream come true for most characters in Team Pacquiao. The gargantuan publicity mileage is a slam dunk for any Filipino politician like Lito Atienza and Chavit Singson who tagged along Pacquiao like leeches.  Not everyone though has the privilege to enter the ring. Top Rank provides special color-coded identification cards for those allowed inside the square battlefield.

THREAT

The biggest threat to Leonardia's franchise of Pacquiao's belt, however, did not come from within the boxer's inner circle. Mondejar, who carried the belt when Pacquiao pulverized in the 8th round Jorge Solis for WBC international super featherweight title in San Antonio, Texas on April 14, 2007, did not anymore press for his birthright to the belt.
When Pacquiao squared off versus Ricky Hatton for IBO light welterweight on May 2, 2009 in Las Vegas, song writer Lito Camo and Texas-based pediatrician Allan Recto got interested in Leonardia's role. A near ugly scuffle ensued in the dressing room when Recto tried to grab the WBC belt from Leonardia, who tightly embraced the belt and refused with extreme resistance to hand it over to the determined Recto. "Bing, ako naman ma uyat sang paha. Nag OK na si Manny (Bing, it's my turn to carry the belt and I have the go signal of Manny)," Recto jabbed at Leonardia. "Wala ka hambal si Manny sina. Sa akon ini ya na assign. Ano ini imo ya man?" Leonardia angrily retorted, his hands keeping a tight grip on the belt. (Manny hasn't told me that. I am still in charge of this belt. What's this are you doing?)

SYMPATHY

In an apparent attempt to get his sympathy, Recto then looked at assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and asked: "Boy, paano ni?" (Boy, what's your stand on this?) Fernandez didn't say any word.
Camo, on the hard hand, cried like a baby denied of his biscuit when told that his request to carry the Ring Magazine belt could not be granted because it was already assigned to the father of Jinky Pacquiao.
The composer of Willie Revillame's "Wowowee" show thought he had the job on the bag and was preparing for his date with fame when told of the bad news. Camo believed Pacquiao had fallen in love with his talent after composing some of Pacquiao's Tagalog songs that became a hit in the Philippines.

INTEREST

"Why the hell would this Lito Camo be interested on carrying the belt inside the ring? Aside from composing some of Manny's songs, what has he done to deserve this kind of attention?" bewailed a Canadian lawyer irked by what he saw.
"Ang problema sa iba diyan, naka say hi and hello lang kay Manny lumalaki na ang ulo akala nila importante na sila sa buhay ni Manny. Mabait lang talaga si Manny kaya hindi siya umaayaw sa mga lumalapit sa kanya pero hindi ibig sabihin na abusuhin nila ang kabaitan nia (There are people not really closed to Manny who think they are important to the boxer's life, thus they abuse his kindness. Because he is a good man, Manny does not say no to those who approach him," commented a broadcast journalist and former boxing manager, who now resides in San Francisco, California.