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Pacquiao to keep receiving House salary despite absence


Professional boxer and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao would keep receiving his salary and allowance despite his absence from the House of Representatives for the promotional tour of his upcoming fight. Pacquiao, also called "Pacman," the "Fighting Pride of the Philippines," and "Pambansang Kamao" (National Fist), has a fight slated on November 13 against Mexican boxer Antonio Margarito. Pacquiao is a seven-division world champion, the first boxer in history to win nine world titles in seven different weight divisions. He is rated as the number one pound-for-pound best boxer in the world by several sporting news and boxing websites. According to a Yahoo news report, Pacquiao is the sixth highest-paid athlete in the world having earned over $40 million in 2009. In a press conference on Thursday, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said Pacquiao’s absence will be recorded but will not be taken against him. “It’s a terrific thing and I don’t think anybody will ever blame Manny for being absent at that time but still insofar as the record of the House is concerned he was not present," Belmonte said. “I for one will say that he is not present here but he is doing a great service to the country nonetheless. He is serving even if he is there. He is serving the country and even the House," Belmonte added. Pacquiao is now in the United States for a week-long, three-city press tour that kicked off at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Next month, the boxing champion will again leave the country to prepare for the fight. Belmonte said Pacquiao’s absence in Congress will not affect the performance of the chamber because the boxing champ does not chair any committees. “A few days there doesn’t matter. Manny is the vice-chairman of the committee on youth and sports," he said. Belmonte will go to Dallas on November 13 to watch the fight as an expression of support for a colleague. Meanwhile, Negros Oriental Rep., Jules Ledesma, one of the congressmen with the most number of absences in the previous Congress, is now making an effort to show up. “He made a point the other day to show up in the House, nahuli daw siya ng dating but he went to see me at my office. Nalate daw siya sa rollcall and he just wanted to say that he made an effort to come," Belmonte said when asked about Ledesma. –VVP, GMANews.TV

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