Manny no longer in ‘most influential’ list
SIX athletes, including two Asians, are among the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World selected by Time Magazine this year. Unfortunately, Manny Pacquiao is not among them.
The list instead includes lady golfer Yani Tseng and injured New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin, who both trace their roots to Taiwan, Serbian tennis champion Novak Djokovic, Argentine football star Lionel Messi, South African runner Oscar Pistorius and New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.
They join an elite international cast of entertainers, political leaders and even controversial figures who, the magazine said, “inspire us, entertain us, challenge us and change our world.” Among them are US President Barack Obama, Warren Buffett (the world’s third richest man) and North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un.
Pacquiao made the list two years ago while he was still campaigning for a seat in Congress. His not-so-convincing victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in his last fight, rather than his deep involvement in politics, may have more to do with his waning influence in the world stage.
The eight-division boxing champion will eventually have to choose between politics and boxing, however. He has already dropped broad hints about hanging his gloves. Then he can concentrate on winning more championships, this time in the political arena.
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Former Transportation undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan has sent a delayed reply (in deference to the Lenten season) to the column I wrote some three weeks ago about former Cebu City south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco’s accusation that Batuhan has been trying to mislead the people in their district by spreading false information against him.
Totol and Tony have tangled twice for the south district seat in Congress in 2001 and 2004, with the latter winning both encounters, but only by a slim margin. They could end up facing each other again in 2013 for the same post.
In the interest of fairness, I am publishing pertinent portions of Totol’s letter:
“Yes, I enumerated several reasons last month why Tony should not be re-elected as congressman. These statements were not ‘below the belt’ but legitimate ques- tions that a previous occupant of the office, let along somebody who held the congressional post of the district for more than 20 years should respond to. Tony’s responses were however pitiful.
“He simply forgot to tell you that my main reason involved his mismanagement of his health card program. While the Commission on Audit (COA) said that Tony Cuenco is not liable, he should at least explain why the names of his son James Cuenco and daughter-in-law Ma. Isabel, figured in the investigation (as shown in the documents posted in the COA website in 2010 and 2011).
“The former congressman labeled as ‘absolute falsehoods’ my points on the South Reclamation Project and his illegal drugs advocacy. I merely supported Cong. Tommy Osmeña’s complaints against Tony on the SRP. We very well know what Cuenco did that earned Tommy’s ire.
“I also said that the illegal drugs problem only worsened despite two decades of Tony’s advocacy. When he said my accusation is an ‘absolute falsehood,’ is Tony saying that the illegal drugs problem has been solved? It’s sad that Tony, a formidable political gladiator in years past, cannot anymore get his memory and facts right.
“Back in 2001 and 2004, Tony won against me by slim margins because of Tommy and the BOPK. In fact, Tommy and the BOPK saved Tony in 1998 when the latter left his own brother Boy. Now Tony has lost Tom and BOPK’S support.”