Sun.Star: Piñol issues statement on Gabi issue

North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol is finally setting the record straight over the controversy between him and Dabawenyo boxing champ Diosdado "Prince" Gabi. In a statement posted at www.thepinoyboxers.com dated August 27, Piñol said he decided to come out after series of news stories on the issue came out with most of them casting him as the villain. Here are the facts stated in the former governor's statement: 1. My involvement with boxer Diosdado Gabi started in early 2003 when he and boxer Christopher Saluday came to my farmhouse in Kidapawan city, begging us to take him in as a boxer because he said he was being exploited by his manager Roger Sumampong and that he was only receiving P5,000 per fight. 2. We negotiated with Roger and agreed that P150,000 be paid to Sumampong for him to waive his managerial rights over Gabi. Gabi signed a document acknowledging my brother, Noli Piñol, as his manager but this was not filed with the Games and Amusements Board. 3. When Gabi started fighting under us, we drew up an ambitious plan that would bring him to the world championship within three years. A TV program was started and all fights involving Gabi were shown to boost his popularity. After two fights, we pitted him against WBC International Flyweight champion Randy Mangubat, also a Filipino, and Gabi won the title. 4. All in all, prior to his disappearance from our camp, Gabi fought seven times in events that we promoted that all lost money. From nobody, he rose in the world ranking. When he packed his bags, Gabi was rated No. 3 Flyweight in the world by the WBC. In all of those fights, I HAVE NOT TAKEN A SINGLE CENTAVO FROM HIS BOXER'S PRIZE MONEY, the same policy that holds true today for the 14 other boxers who belong to the Braveheart Boxing Club. 5. My family took in Gabi not as a boxer but as a member of the family. He married Joyjoy Paunon, the daughter of my guesthouse caretaker, whom I sent to college and who is actually a distant relative. My old mother, who doted on Gabi like he was another son, made sure that Joyjoy would look beautiful during the wedding 6. On December 19, 2004, shortly after my birthday, we promoted a ballroom boxing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City with Gabi fighting a Thai boxer. Present during the fight was Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte and boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao, who is a personal friend. Manny brought along a Caucasian who was introduced to me as a disbarred Canadian lawyer Michael Koncz. Gabi won the fight by KO in the 2nd round and following that were overtures made by Koncz to buy the managerial rights of Gabi and another boxer, Glenn Gonzales, now known as the Rapid Fire. I turned down the offer telling him my boxers were not for sale. This was when the trouble started. 7. Unknown to me, Socrates, my brother, had a falling out with Gabi because he failed to attend the boxer's wedding and some of Gabi's guests were not provided transportation to go home to Davao City. It was petty but I was later told Gabi felt bad about that. 8. While I was arranging a WBC title eliminator against Nicaragua's Rosendo Alvarez set for June of 2005 in Palawan through the support of Gov. Joel T. Reyes, Gabi left camp and disappeared. I was later told that before they left, his wife, Joyjoy, urged Gabi to give me the respect by saying goodbye but Gabi retorted: Naa ba'y mulayas nga mananghid? (Do you have to say goodbye when you intend to run away?) 9. I sought out Gabi through his father and we had a meeting at the Royal Mandaya Hotel. His father told me that Gabi wanted to retire from boxing to go back to the farm. I said I had no objection to that but just the same, I asked him to convince Gabi to consider the Alvarez fight which was one step short of the title fight and even gave him money as advance payment for the purse. 10. When I learned of what really happened, I felt so stupid having that meeting with the father. I felt I was cheated so badly because at that time, Koncz, who knew that there was no manager-boxer contract between me and Gabi filed with the GAB, had already given Gabi's family at least P300,000 and plans were already made to bring him to the US via Cebu City. I and my family felt so bad not because we did not want to let go of Gabi but because we felt an injustice was done against us. But we were willing to forget the whole thing and consider it part of a learning experience. That was until stories started appearing in the newspaper and the internet quoting Koncz as saying that the reason why Gabi left was because he was not given his rightful share of his prize money. THIS WAS WHAT ANGERED ME. I COULD NOT SLEEP OVER THE FACT THAT "Naloko na nga ako, ginagago pa nila ako. "It was because of this that I asked my lawyer, the late Atty. Jesus "Baby" Zozobrado of Davao City to file a case against Gabi and Koncz. The case against Koncz was dropped because there was no document to prove his involvement in the deceit. 11. Let me state this again for the record: I HAVE NOT TAKEN AND I AM NOT TAKING A SINGLE CENTAVO FROM THE PURSES OF MY BOXERS AND THAT POLICY STILL STANDS UNTIL TODAY. I have told our boxers we will only implement the manager-boxer purse sharing stipulation in the contract when they become world champion. I have squandered a considerable fortune in boxing. I am not rich but for some people to suggest that the Warrant of Arrest was issued so I could get a share of Gabi's purse is adding insult to injury. 12. For the record, I filed the case of Other Deceits against Gabi not because I want him to comeback or I want a slice of his purse money ($10,000 or $20,000 what's that compared to millions that we spent building up his career?). We do not desire to have Gabi back. We have a lot of better boxers. Besides he is now being managed by a friend, Freddie Roach, who I believe has good intentions for him. And I think he is well managed now. Koncz, his former manager, who made him a virtual servant in his house in California , by the way, is now being sought by the managers of Bernabe Concepcion and Rodel Mayol for not giving the boxers their rightful share of their purses. The media reported Mayol only received $8,000 of his $35,000 purse in his losing fight against Ulisses Solis. Now, there's a thief if you are looking for one. 13. Again for the record: Am I willing to forgive Gabi? If God Almighty forgives, who am I not to? Shortly after his devastating loss to Darchinyan, I issued a statement that I was willing to drop the case against him and I was expecting Gabi's camp to come forward and apologize for the hurt they have done on my family. I met Gabi in Las Vegas during the Pacquiao-Morales III fight and all he said was "Good Morning." I think even the forgiving God that I believe in needs to hear "I'm sorry" before He absolves your sin. Joyjoy, Gabi's wife, has sent me emotional messages and I care for that girl. But Gabi and his father must issue a public apology to vindicate my family from the hurt and the dishonor they have inflicted on us. This case is all about my family's honor, it's all about values and virtues that my family and I cherish so much. There's not much in me but my name, my reputation and my honor. They should apologize to me and my family not to the media. They apologize, I will drop the case. If they don't, I will see this case through until the end of my life. That's a promise. On Mahipus In the same statement, Piñol criticized Davao City Councilor Diosdado Mahipus for coming out in defense of Gabi at a time when there was so much public interest on the story. "Shortly after he was knocked out by Australian Vic Darchinyan in the 8th round of a 12 round World Flyweight Championship in California on March 3, 2006, Gabi actually came home to Davao City and stayed here for sometime. He was not arrested and there was no mention in the media of why a losing boxer should be welcomed home with a Warrant of Arrest," Piñol said. "There was also no Councilor Diosdado Mahipus rushing in like a Knight in Shining Armor to defend a beleaguered constituent who had just been knocked out in California. Why? Nobody loves a loser?," he added. - Sun.Star