MANILA – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ventured on Friday into a seemingly unfamiliar territory like sports, especially professional boxing, but the students who attended a town hall meeting where she was the guest applauded her for her performance.
The applause was loudest when Clinton predicted that Filipino boxing idol Manny “Pacman†Pacquiao would defeat his equally popular Puerto Rican rival Miguel Cotto in their championship bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 15 (Sunday, morning Manila time).
“Of course, it’s Pacman who is going to win. Is there any doubt?,†Clinton predicted when one of the very first questions was asked her by a student during a forum held inside a well-secured auditorium of the University of Santo Tomas run by Dominican religious order of the Catholic Church in Manila.
Her prediction was met with thunderous cheers and applause from the audience, which lasted for minutes.
Pacman, as Pacquiao is more popularly known among Filipinos, is hoping to become the first fighter in boxing history to win seven world titles when he takes on Cotto, the defending World Boxing Association welterweight champion, on Sunday.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have made Pacquiao the 3-1 favorite to wrest the championship belt from Cotto, also a boxing idol from Puerto Rico.
Sports was one of the “lighter†sides in the otherwise “serious†affair punctuated by topics such as the Mindanao peace process, graft and corruption, diplomacy and good governance.
Surprisingly, another interesting sidebar to the mostly young Filipino student leaders chosen to “interrogate†Clinton included “teenage crushes†and her preference for singers.
For instance, Clinton admitted that since she was born and grew up in Chicago, she was a fan of the Chicago Bulls of the US National Basketball Association, especially when the team was led by the legendary Michael Jordan.
But now as a New Yorker, Clinton said she found it “disheartening†that its team, the New York Knicks, has been faring badly in the ongoing NBA season.
Nevertheless, as an NBA fan, Clinton expressed the hope that the Knicks would become a team to reckon with as she disclosed there are ongoing negotiations to convince superstar Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Knicks.
She also admitted that she is a confirmed fan and admirer of the Beatles, particularly Paul McCartney.
When she was much younger, she also said that at one time, she became the head of the “Fabian Fans Club,†referring to the American singing sensation also at a time when the Beatles were on top of the world.
Meanwhile, the Pacquiao “magic†also appears to be working especially on members of the Philippine House of Representatives, 20 of whom are now reported to be in Las Vegas to witness his championship bout with Cotto.
The lawmakers are led by House Speaker Prospero Nograles who defended his trip, saying that he has to be personally present in Las Vegas as a member of “Team Pacquiao†because he is from Davao City in Mindanao.
Malacanang claimed they earlier tried but failed to dissuade the lawmakers because of the heavy damage, death and destruction wrought on the country by four recent typhoons
A reliable source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that, as proof, many of the lawmakers, described as the perennial hangers-on in the Arroyo foreign travels, have chosen this time to fly to Las Vegas instead of joining the President on her trip to Singapore.
President Arroyo left Friday afternoon for Singapore for a meeting with other leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic (Apec) forum, led by US President Barack Obama.
The source revealed the President was accompanied by four Cabinet officials, including Secretary Alberto Romulo of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and only about eight lawmakers.
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Wow. That’s really nice! Pacquiao has gained a lot of fans already and authority. Good Pacman. Eat them all.