Pacquiao shrugs off calls to postpone fight, hits 'crab mentality' of critics

Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday shrugged off calls to postpone his upcoming fight with Timothy Bradley, expressing confidence that there won't be any legal problems about its broadcast during the campaign period.

"May lawyers naman tayo. Allowed naman tayo lumaban. Ito naman matagal na nating ginagawa," Pacquiao told GMA News' Mav Gonzales.

"Sabi ng abogado natin, OK naman lumaban," he added.

Pacquiao, who is running for the Senate under the United Nationalist Alliance, is set to make his ring return on April 9, a date that lands within the campaign period. Former Akbayan Representative Walden Bello and former senator Rene Saguisag have raised issues about the event before the Commission on Elections, noting that it will give Pacquiao an undue advantage in terms of exposure.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Comelec Commissioner Andres Bautista admitted they cannot stop Pacquiao from boxing, but they can regulate airtime for candidates within the campaign period.

"We do recognize [that] we do not have the jurisdiction in respect of prohibiting Congressman Pacquiao from exercising his profession," he said. "The only issue is whether or not we'll use the power given to us during the election period to regulate the airtime."

But Pacquiao bristled at suggestions that would result in people being unable to view his fight.

"Bakit nila ipagkait sa milyon-milyong pilipino na mapanood yung fight dahil lang sa iilan na may crab mentality?" said Pacquiao.

2007 elections

This isn't the first time Pacquiao had a boxing match within the campaign period.

Pacquiao fought Mexican boxer Jorge Solis on Apr. 15, 2007, while running for a seat in the House of Representatives. He eventually lost to then-incumbent South Cotabato First District Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio.

Election lawyer Sixto Brillantes — who would later become Comelec chief — filed a petition before the fight raising concerns over the media exposure that Pacquiao was going to get from the bout, its promotion, and Pacquiao's endorsements.

The Commission allowed the airing of the fight as a whole around the country as a matter of "national interest."

However, it imposed "partial restriction" in South Cotabato, where only the pre-fight sparring session and the actual boxing match were aired.

His product endorsements were allowed to be aired only in Metro Manila.

Bautista said the 2007 en banc decision is one of the things they are taking into consideration.

"If you read the 2007 decision, they were even talking about the pre-fight, documentaries, and trying to distinguish that as well from the airing," he said.

He pointed out, though, that he and the six other commissioners that form the current en banc are a new set of officials.

He added that they will also look into the fact that Pacquiao is now pursuing a national position, different from 2007, when he was only running for a local post. —with Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/JST, GMA News