MANILA - Aside from being a regular spectator to the boxing fights of Manny Pacquiao, House Speaker Prospero Nograles plans to engage the people’s champ in a noble endeavor to dispute criticisms that several congressmen are insensitive for pursuing the US trip amid the plight of their constituents who have been devastated by the typhoons.
“As a matter of fact if I talk to Pacquiao and I will tell him malaki naman ang panalo mo, magbigay ka naman ng malaki para typhoon victims (since you will get a huge sum, you can donate to typhoon victims),” Nograles told reporters in a news conference Monday.
Nograles, who just arrived from the US after attending a joint session of Congress, will leave anew Friday night for Las Vegas to watch Pacquiao’s fight with Miguel Cotto slated November 14 (US time).
He will return in the country early Tuesday, he said.
Several other congressmen are leaving for the bout, but Nograles could not confirm reports that there are about 50 of them. He said he did not have to approve the trip since it was not an official travel.
“There’s nobody authorized to go there but like you, congressmen have also freedom of movement, you can’t stop anybody from moving around especially if they are going on their own, so as long as you’re not using public funds, you can be absent in Congress for a day or two,” he said.
Nograles observed that the issue about the congressmen’s US trip crops up every time Pacquiao has a fight.
Asked anew how many congressmen are leaving, he said, ““I really don’t know. My only plan is when I go there I hope PAL (Philippine Airlines) can arrange that I sit beside Aling Dionisia (Pacquiao’s celebrity mother),” he said in jest.
Nograles said he is flying using his earned mileage from PAL, points accumulated by frequent flyer that they can use later on for free trips. But he admitted placing a bet for Pacquiao, but did not say how much.
The House leader assured that the House of Representatives would be able to pass key measures this week if there is a quorum.
In the past however, the absence of lawmakers who are either on official business trips or on personal sorties, have caused the lack of quorum and delay in passage of bills.
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