By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin
When allegations of drug use involving Manny Pacquiao began floating a few weeks ago, Freddie Roach said he was hardly affected.
Not anymore.
“The general public now thinks Manny’s on steroids,” Roach told the Bulletin yesterday from Los Angeles, sounding very much concerned that the Filipino pound-for-pound king is now being perceived to be guilty even though he has passed all the medical requirements in the US.
Many believe the Mayweather camp is trying to get into the head of Pacquiao, destabilize him and thus has been concocting this thing about performance-enhancing drugs.
But whatever it is, Roach said their training schedule must proceed on schedule.
Roach said he’s been unsuccessful in trying to get Pacquiao on the phone with him so they could discuss plans for the future – tops of which is the proposed March 13, 2010, super fight with Floyd Mayweather.
“This is the reason why I want to talk to him,” said Roach when asked about the possible site for training camp in the event promoters of the two fighters finally succeed in ironing out kinks. “I think we could still find a way to make the fight happen by agreeing on a compromise.”
Roach even asked the help of this writer to relay his message to Pacquiao, something that was immediately done just like in the past when the celebrated cornerman wanted to get a piece of the world’s No. 1 fighter.
“If you get to talk to Manny, tell him I want to talk to him,” added Roach.
Pacquiao has refused to give in to Mayweather’s demand that they undergo Olympic-style testing, going to the extent of threatening him and Golden Boy Promotions, the outfit that represents Mayweather, with a lawsuit for defamation.
Pacquiao said he doesn’t mind having his blood drawn as long as it is not as close to the fight date because he said it affects him mentally, something that Mayweather’s camp is not agreeable to.
Meanwhile, Dr. Alex Pineda of the Philippine Olympic Committee has arrived in General Santos City to supervise the initial part of the urine testing procedure on Pacquiao as per order of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Pineda said 60 ml of the urine sample will be labeled “A”, while the remaining 40 ml will be listed “B”.
If Pacquiao tests positive for a banned substance, the "B" sample will be tested to confirm if there was a discrepancy in the results.
Pineda, a member of the Southeast Asian Games region anti-doping council, said Pacquiao’s urine is scheduled to be drawn Wednesday so he could return to Manila and ship the two sets of samples to a testing center in China, Thailand or Malaysia recognized by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Source: mb.com.ph
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