By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
MICHAEL MARLEY'S PHILLIPINE DIARY
PART 20, FROM INSIDE THE MANNY PACQUIAO MANSION ON ELECTION DAY ACROSS THE PHILIPPINES
NEWS UPDATE: 8:27 PM - I am at Manny Pacquiao's politcal bunker, his personal "Pentagon" in Gensan, with his chief campaign brain, local businessman and friend Zaldy Du.
Early returns have Pacman ahead 8,600 votes to 2,0000 and, more importantly, the fighter seems to be smashing opponent Roy Chiongbian in all seven of the voting areas.
Landslide victory looms!
(Slight disclaimer: All my reports are coming indirectly from Manny Pacquiao political partisans so keep this in mind in case this turns out to be irrational exuberance by Pacman and his cronies...)
BREAKING NEWS FROM INSIDE THE MANNY MANSION
UPDATED AT 5:56 PM PHILIPPINE TIME WITH POLLS EXPECTED TO CLOSE AROUND 7 PM
LATEST UPDATE: Manny Pacquiao's pollwatchers have informed the fighter by telephone from Sarangani that he is "winning by a landslide" among the 56,000 potential voters in the key community of Glan.
Pacquiao is also counting on heavy victories in Malugnon, Alabel and Kiamba.
Glan has 85 precincts and is the largest voting area in the province.
"If they are right on Glan," promoter Bob Arum said, "I think it is a huge victory for Manny."
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Manny Pacquiao is smelling victory just like in one of his boxing matches.
"I am getting good reports, all good reports," Pacquiao said. "I am making history here."
Pacquiao just said he dropped "an atomic bomb" on favored opponent Roy Chiongbian on Saturday and Sunday nights.
I pressed Manny for details on his late strategy but he refused to answer directly.
At about 5 pm, Pacquiao came into a large room where many of his photos and fight posters adorn the wall.
In between directing political advisers and handlers over his walkie talkie, where his handle is "Dragon 1," Pacman said he was growing more confident of gaining a victory over Congressional opponent Roy Chiongbian.
The fighter also laughed about a second hand report or rumor that foe Chiongbian was feeling that he would be beaten at the polls.
"They are saying that even if beat Chiongbean,I will remain Chiongbian's idol," Pacman said, smiling brightly.
Then, showing he was being sarcastic, Pacquiao dramatically rolled his eyes.
The reference, of course, is to Pacquiao's comments to beaten and bloodied Oscar de lay Hoya when he made the Golden Boy quit on his stool.
Queen Elizabeth, the boxer's 16 month old daughter, sat on his lap for a while as he spoke to a scrum of about eight reporters gathered inside his home.
I asked Pacman if the election was more nervewracking than a big fight.
He smiled and said, "I am confident like in a boxing match."
Pacquiao said he was a bit surprised at the exuerberance of many of his supporters.
"Some people are excited to vote for me," Pacman said.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Congressional hopeful Manny Pacquiao phoned his adviser Michael Koncz minutes ago from his house in Kiamba, Sarangani Province.
Pacquiao asked Koncz if he and promoter Bob Arum are excited about the Pinoy Idol's possible electoral victory Monday night.
“I am excited, so is Bob,” Koncz said, sitting on the patio beside the boxing glove shaped swimming pool as tropical strength rains poured down.
“Bob wants to be the first to raise your hand in victory as a Congressman,” Koncz said.
The call came in about 3:30 pm, which is unusual since, when not in training for a fight, Pacman is about as nocturnal as Dracula.
Basketball, poker and billiards often occupy hour after nightime hour for the fighter when he is not under the domain and strict controls of trainer Freddie Roach.
Pacman and wife Jinkee voted early Monday morning at an elementary school in the rural, improverished province where presumably the world champion boxer voted for his party ally Manny Villar for president and for himself over billionaire Roy Chiongbian for the Congressional seat.
Today being the 10th wedding anniversary of the fighter and his leading lady, I guess we can presume that she also voted for Candidate Number 2, as opposed to Candidate Number 1, his rival for the three year term in the lower house which sits in Manila.
I am one of a handful of American, British and Pilipino journalists privileged to sit within the high walls of the Manny mansion in the Barangay Lagao section of Gensan.
I was left behind by promoter Uncle Bob Arum and the rest of the gang but I recovered my geographic fumble by getting a 50 pesos (one US dollar) ride on a bright red tricycle (a motorcycle with a tin can style passenger compartment attached thereto).
I figured the cramped ride should hold me in good stead for my upcoming, 16 hour flight in steerage class on Continental Airlines from Hong Kong to Newark. (Hint, hint, Continental/United bosses, isn';t the White Gorilla due for a nice, complimentary upgrade or do I have to go the Lunesta 3 route?)
Speaking of sleeping, we can all do that now as the final results in Sarangani are not expected for another two or three hours.
Chiongbian and the old ways or Pacquiao and some new ideas?
We shall know the verdict of the electorate soon. There continues to be an undercurrent of feeling by many that Manny should stick to what he knows and what he excels at, being the Pound for Pound king of the ring.
Both sides accuse the other of bribing voters, buying their ballots.
I think this is really overstated.
I haven't seen or heard of actually vote buying.
Now vote renting, that is another story.
And so we go into the final rounds in Sarangani...
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
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