Pacquiao to train in Baguio, still mum on Floyd Jr's apology

Manny Pacquiao arrived in the country early Monday morning and declared he’ll buckle down to work in two weeks time for his Nov. 13 title showdown with Antonio Margarito. The world’s best pound-for-pound fighter just came off a whirlwind press tour in the U.S. last week to hype up his fight with the 5-foot-11 Margarito for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) light-middleweight crown. The week-long press tour had the two fighters making the rounds of Beverly Hills, California, New York, and then capping it with personal appearances during the Dallas-Miami pre-season football game at the Cowboys Stadium, site of the 12-round bout. Shortly upon his arrival, the boxing champion turned congressman representing the province of Sarangani, just took a brief rest, had breakfast and shower, before proceeding to the Batasan Complex to resume the paper works he left behind prior to his departure for the U.S. Later in the afternoon, he attended the House committee hearing on energy. Pacquiao said he’ll work double time and finish things needed to be done shortly before his eight-month training kicks off on Sept. 20. At the moment, Baguio remains the priority where the 31-year-old champion could hold training camp, having been there last year in the thick of his preparation for his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight fight with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto. Trainer Freddie Roach is also biased of setting up their base in the country’s Summer Capital, its cool breeze and high altitude ideal for Pacquiao to get himself ready against an opponent bigger and taller than him by five inches. But the boxing icon is having second thoughts about training in Baguio, preferring to set up camp instead in a place near the Batasan Complex that would allow him to continuously attend to his congressional duties. Roach plans to plane in the country the weekend before training camp begins. This developed as Pacquiao refused to comment on the apology issued by Floyd Mayweather Jr. about the internet rant he aired last week filled with racist remarks. Instead, the Filipino boxing sensation even thanked Mayweather as his action, one way or the other, helped promote the Pacquiao-Margarito fight. Although he did not directly said it to Pacquiao, Mayweather offered his apology to people whom he offended following his racist outburst aimed at the Filipino and posted at uStream.com last week. The 33-year old native of Grand Rapids, Michigan said he was `just having fun’ for saying bad things against the Filipino boxing superstar, whom he previously referred to as `Poochia’, `midget’ and `yellow chump.’ “I do want to apologize for what happened the other night. I want to apologize to everybody," said Mayweather. “They felt it was a racist comment that came from me. I don’t have a racist bone in my body, you know. I love everybody. Some of my guys are Muslims. Some of my guys are Jews. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, whites, it doesn’t matter. There is nothing but love in my heart, you know what I’m saying?" “Anybody who was offended by what I said the other day, I apologize as a man. I apologize. Forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun. I didn’t really mean it, nothing in a bad way. So let’s stay on this roller coaster ride and keep riding, baby. It’s all love." - RCJ, GMANews.TV