Pacquiao wins 8th world boxing title

I was having my long delayed soak in a hot herbal pool at Ace Water Spa when I caught Manny Pacquiao's win on free TV and while it wasn't as spectacular as the fights where he won by KO, it was certainly one of those victories that indeed buoyed my spirits. 

I don't think there has been any Filipino boxer or any boxer in Pacquiao's weight class that has managed to win eight titles.  He now has the WBC super welterweight title, the latest addition to the other titles that he has.

• WBO Welterweight Champion, November 14, 2009 -
• IBO Light Welterweight Champion, May 2, 2009 -
• RING Light Welterweight Champion, May 2, 2009 -
• WBC Lightweight Champion, June 28, 2008 -
• RING Super Featherweight Champion, March 15, 2008 -
• WBC Super Featherweight Champion, March 15, 2008 - June 28, 2008
• WBC International Super Featherweight Champion, Sep 10, 2005 - March 15, 2008
• RING Featherweight Champion, Nov 15, 2003 - Jun 22, 2005
• IBF Super Bantamweight Champion, Jun 23, 2001 - Jan 1, 2004
• WBC Flyweight Champion, Dec 4, 1998 - Sep 17, 1999

From the looks of what I caught on TV, Manny didn't have it easy with Antonio Margarito and it was a much better fight than the one he had with turtle Clottey.

I am not going to imbue this latest Pacquiao with any more significance than what it deserves.  He is, bar none, one of the greatest Filipino boxers of all time and certainly someone whose dedication to a skill/art/craft/profession should be emulated by all.

The problem begins when people start seriously thinking that Pacquiao ought to do more than he has already done.

Any chump can become a politician, but it takes whole different order of something to become a boxer of Manny's caliber.

Tayo, hindi sila... (Liham para sa mga kapanalig ni Ben Totanes)

Dear Ben,

Nawala ba ang pinaghirapan mong itatag na Fan Page para kay Presidente Noynoy Aquino?  Well, that's the way it goes... Ganyan talaga ang politika... Gamitan.  Parang showbiz without the sex tapes.

Sana itong paglalahad mo nang hinanakit eh hindi matulad sa pekeng drama ni Reyn Barnido. Naalala mo ba siya? Oo, siya iyong Public Relations daw na nakipag-kontsaba sa communications group rin ng Malakanyang para kunyari magsasabi ng hinanakit tapos sasagutin kunyari ni Presidente Noynoy Aquino.

Pero, alam mo, kung tutuusin, parang walang pinagmumulang malaking at malalim na isyu itong pagkawala ng Fan Page na binuo mo.

Unang-una, chong, pangalan ni Noynoy Aquino ang nasa-Fan Page at hindi ikaw si Noynoy.  Hindi naman siguro sisikat iyon nuong panahong iyon kung pinangalanan mo itong Ben Totanes Support Group for Noynoy Aquino.  Sa tingin ko, alam mo malaki ang magiging online traffic para sa Benigno Noynoy S. Aquino III at iyon ang ginamit mong pangalan para sa Fan Page.  Gayong nasa larangan ka ng internet, alam mo siguro kung ano ang magiging value nitong online asset na ito.

Pangalawa, nung binuo niyo iyong Fan Page na iyon, eh binuo niyo ito bilang alay at tulong na libre para sa taong sa tingin niyo ay karapat-dapat maging Pangulo ng bansa.

So, ngayong kinuha na ni Noynoy ang talagang kanya at ang inalay niyong produkto ng inyong pagsisikap, bigla naman kayong nguma-ngawa.

Tingin ko, iringan lang niyo ito ni Sonny Coloma at patuloy lang ito ng bangayan ng mga grupong naglalaban para sa atensyon ni Noynoy.

Sa tingin ko, mahihilot ka ng mga galamay ni Noynoy at siguro, kung may asim ka talaga, baka may i-offer sa iyo para manumbalik sa kung anumang pwesto ang meron ka dati. 

LQ lang iyan, ikanga.

Anyway, kung ang dahilan sana ng pag-alis mo kay Noynoy eh iyong katotohanan na wala talaga siyang leadership ability at nagpapagamit rin lang sa interes ng iba (o para proteksyunan ang sariling interes), eh siguro mas makakabilib nga.

Pero, sa ngayon, tamang duda ako eh.  

Sensya na chong.  Prangkang usapan lang.

Founder of BSAIII fanpage parts ways with President Noynoy?

A man claiming to be the founder of the largest Facebook Fan Page of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III claims that he has decided to withdraw support from the incumbent President after he discovered that the Fan Page he helped grow was taken from him.

Here are excerpts from his article on www.kuro-kuro.org blog:

Pagkatapos noong nakaraang halalan, ini-recommend na isara ang BSAIII ni Enteng Romano.  Nguni’t sabi namin ni Betty, sayang.  Di kaya mahusay na ilipat natin ito sa Malacanang upang maging base para maka communicate si PNoy sa mga tao?  Sinubukan naming ipa-ilalim ang control ng BSAIII sa Communcations team ni Sec. Coloma.  Nguni’t dumaan ang maraming araw, na-pansin ko na hindi taong bayan ang nasa isip ng mga ito.  Kaming dalawa ni Betty ay hindi man lang binibigyan ng respeto na sabihan man lang kung ano ang nangyayari at mga plano nila.  Sa bandang huli, inisip ko na kunin ulit ang BSAIII sa kanila at ibalik ito sa tao.  Sinabi ko sa kanila na pwede pa rin nila gamitin ito, nguni’t dapat pamalagiin itong “Feedback Forum” ng sambayanang Pilipino, at huwag tatanggalin ang mga comments (pro or anti) ng mga tao.

Tipong hindi yata nagustuhan ito.  Ang directive daw ni Sec. Coloma ay magtayo ng sariling Facebook Page at magsimula sila ng bago.  Pero sabi ko, sige tutulungan ko sila.

Dumaan ang bus hostage fiasco, at bagyong Juan na walang insidente.  Subali’t noong Nobyembre 9, nakita ko na lang ito sa email ko:

“Hello,

Your Page “Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III” has been removed for violating our Terms of Use. A Facebook Page is a distinct presence used solely for business or promotional purposes. Among other things, Pages that are hateful, threatening, or obscene are not allowed. We also take down Pages that attack an individual or group, or that are set up by an unauthorized individual. If your Page was removed for any of the above reasons, it will not be reinstated. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in the permanent loss of your account.

If you need further assistance with this issue, please visit http://……

The Facebook Team”

Ngayon, subukan ninyo i-click ito: http://www.facebook.com/noynoy.aquino

Wala… Wala na ang Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III Facebook Page na aking sinimulan.  Ang Facebook Page na pinaglaanan namin ng panahon, pinag-puyatan, pinag-gastusan ko ng sarili kong pera at pera ng mga nag-donate, ang BSAIII Facebook Page ng taong bayan ay tinanggal na ng Facebook.

Ngayon, puntahan ninyo ito: http://www.facebook.com/presidentnoy

Iyan ang ngayong ”Official” Facebook Page ni P-Noy na sinimulan nila noong Agosto lamang. Ang namamahala nito ay ang Communications team ni P-Noy.  Si Sec. Coloma ang pinuno nito at ang Usec niya na si George Syliangco ang in charge ng lahat ng media assets.  Sa unang tingin, parang wala namang mali.  Pero tignan ninyo ang mga members, 1.5 milyon.  Noong November 5 (6 days ago) 100 thousand lamang ito. Nakakapag taka ‘di ba?

Matagal na ako sa Facebook at alam ko na hindi lang basta-basta kikilos ang Facebook upang isara ang isang Facebook Page.  Kailangan ng opisyal na dokumento o request bago ito mangyari, at kailangan ito i-authenticate.  Batay sa aking mga narinig galing sa ibang kaibigan na naging kasama namin sa kampanya at may alam sa nangyayari sa Malacanang, ang BSAIII ay ini-utos ipasara ng Communications team ni P-Noy, at karamihan ng member nito, ini request sa Facebook na ipa-lipat sa “Official” Facebook Page ng wala nilang pahintulot.  Hindi possible na mag-gain ng 1.4 million members ang “Official” page ni PNoy in 6 days kung walang intervention ang Facebook.  Ipina-lipat ito.

 ---------

Isa lamang ang tunay na alam ko: Inabuso nila ang kapangyarihan nila.  Ako ay ninakawan, tayo ay ninakawan.  Ninakawan tayo ng tunay na paraan upang mai-daing sa kapwa ang ating nararamdaman. 

Mga kababayan, nag kamali yata ako ng sinuportahan noong eleksyon.  Kung ganito-ganito lang, hindi na ako naniniwala.  Ginawa nila sa akin, sa amin, ang bagay na pinaglaban natin na hindi mangyari sa mamamayang Pilipino.  Papaano na lang ang mga walang kapangyahiran upang marinig?  Sumoporta ako ng tapat, nguni’t ako’y tinapak-tapakan.  So, I am shedding my yellow color.  PNoy, you just lost one die-hard supporter in me.

Ben Totanes

Tracy, California

Here's a note on the new President Noynoy Aquino Fan Page:

Statement on the Official Facebook Fan Page of President Benigno S. Aquino III

by Noynoy Aquino (P-Noy) on Friday, November 12, 2010 at 9:00pm

12 November 2010

On August 16, 2010, we opened the Official Website and Social Networking Sites of President Benigno S. Aquino III.  We were aware of the Facebook Management policy that states: “Only the official representative of an organization, business, celebrity, or band may create a Facebook Page.”  http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=904 

Facebook Management implemented this policy early this week. That’s almost three months after we opened President Aquino’s Official Facebook Fan Page.

There is another policy of Facebook Management which states clearly, “If you would like to create a Facebook presence for a celebrity or organization, and you are not officially authorized to do so, please create a Facebook group instead, as this may be created and maintained by any user.” 

It is clear from the foregoing policies that Facebook Management seeks to minimize confusion that may arise from the existence of more than one Official Facebook Fan Page for a public official -- in this case, for President Aquino.

In the light of these developments, we invite everyone to visit and participate in President Aquino’s Official Facebook Fan Page.  We wish to emphasize that this is an inclusive page. We value the free expression of diverse opinions which, after all, is an essential element in a vibrant democracy like ours.

Sonny Coloma

Secretary, Presidential Communications Operations Office

I don't know if there is another story behind this.  Success, I am sure has many fathers, and these many fathers will each want to ask something from their "son" -- favors can range from an appointment to simply doing something good for the country.

I had my run ins with the people from the BSAIII Fan Page and I am pretty sure a number of them were part of the horde that incessantly trolled me when I was with www.asiancorrespondents.com/paulfarolpinoybuzz until that so-called news website's editors decided things were too hot to handle.

With the way they ran the BSA III Fan Page, I wouldn't be surprised if the man claiming to be a certain Mr. Ben Totanes isn't the only one who decided to part ways with President Noynoy Aquino.

The thing is, ladies and gentlemen, the group that composed the lot of  President Noynoy Aquino's supporters on Facebook weren't at all clear about what their Presidential candidate was all about.  They just probably believed in the campaign ads which AT THE END OF THE DAY was nothing more than a rehash of the claims and posturings of other also-ran Presidential candidates.  Now that it is becoming increasingly apparent that they made a mistake in choosing the President on election day and there's no way they can make him redeem the promises he made to them, they're turning their backs on him.

You know what?

While Mr. Ben Totanes can live out the next five or six years of his life in the US, THE REST OF US HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEIR MISTAKE.