Pacquiao ambush text spreads; rumors belied

With just a week to go before Election Day, text messages spread in South Cotabato and Davao provinces that boxing champ Manny Pacquiao had fallen victim to an ambush. But while Pacquiao denied the rumors Saturday night, he said he will take no chances and ask authorities for additional security personnel on the last week of the campaign. "Nagtitiwala ako sa mahal na Panginoon, hindi niya ako pababayaan. Di ako natatakot sa kanila. Ipagdadasal ko sila sana mararamdaman nila ang pagmamahal sa bawa't isa (I believe in God, He won't abandon me. I am not afraid of those spreading the rumors. I pray that they will learn to love one another)," he told a correspondent of radio dzBB while campaigning in the first district of South Cotabato Saturday night. The correspondent aired the report Sunday morning. He dismissed the text messages as a "strategy" of his political rivals, whom he described as getting desperate. "Natataranta sila (They are getting confused)," he said. While Pacquiao would not name names on who was behind the text messages, he had said some weeks back that congressional rival Darlene Custodio's family was plotting to kill him. Custodio denied the claims. Pacquiao also said he will ask for additional security personnel. Pacquiao already has a group of "private" bodyguards. On Saturday morning, Pacquiao and Custodio came face to face at a forum sponsored by a Church-backed group. Custodio left early, admitting she still felt sore over Pacquiao's accusations. - GMANews.TV