50 solons out of the country on week of Pacquiao's fight

Around 50 members of the House of Representatives are set to travel abroad, 10 of them off to the United States, on the second week of November — the week of the boxing match of Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao against Antonio Margarito. “Those who are traveling in the US on the second week of November are only 10," House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said in a text message to GMANews.TV on Friday. However, he did not say if the lawmakers will be watching the World Boxing Council (WBC) super-welterweight fight of their colleague, boxing champ Pacquiao. Pacquiao's fight against Antonio Margarito is slated on November 13, Saturday (November 14, Sunday in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. "So far there were something like I would say maximum of 50, maybe less than that that I have approved, given travel authority," Belmonte said in an interview with reporters on Thursday. He clarified the travel authorities he signed were for the trip of the lawmakers "all over the world, mainly Asian destinations." "I wouldn't be surprised if some of those who said they're going to be in the United States will eventually end up in the Pacquiao fight," he said. He earlier clarified that lawmakers are allowed to watch Pacquiao’s fight provided that they will use their personal money and will not get funds from the House. Those who will skip the session will be marked absent, he said. The House has 278 members. House accounts committee chairman Florencio Noel confirmed that no congressman asked or was given fund for their US travel. “Walang funding from the House sa mga magbabyahe, walang dumaan sa akin. Bibigyan lang sila ng travel authority for documentation," he told GMANews.TV over the phone. (There is no funding from the House for those who are travelling, no documents went through me. They will only be given travel authority for documentation.) Asked who among his colleagues will watch the fight, Noel said he cannot name names. “Mahirap manghula ngayon. Malalaman mo lang yan pag nakita mo na sila sa TV or kung absent sila sa session next Monday," he said. (It is hard to guess right now. You will know when you see them on TV or when they are absent during the session on Monday.) The An Waray partylist representative sees nothing wrong with watching Pacquiao’s fight. “Kongresista si Manny Pacquiao so magbibigay talaga ng moral support lalo na yung mga kasama niya sa Mindanao, walang masama kung gastos nila. They may also be using a green (regular) passport," said Noel. (Manny Pacquiao is a congessman. They would be able to give him moral support especially his colleagues from Mindanao. There is nothing wrong if they will be spending for the trip. They may also be using a green passport.) Noel said he was invited by Pacquiao but he opted not to go. Belmonte, meanwhile, initially expressed intention to watch the fight but later changed his mind. “As Speaker, I have to be here but our champion has all my best wishes and prayers for his victory, about which I’m very confident," he said. He said he will just call Pacquiao to wish him luck. People's Champ Manny Pacquiao or Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao is a seven-division world champion, the first boxer in history to win nine world titles in seven different weight divisions. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) has named him "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2000s. Pacquiao is currently the WBO Welterweight World Champion (Super Champion). He was rated as the number 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world by several sporting news and boxing websites, such as The Ring, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, NBC Sports, Yahoo! Sports and About.com. He is the first active boxer to become a congressman in the Philippines. –VVP, GMANews.TV