Manny Pacquiao knocked out Mexican-American David Diaz in the 9th round to grab the WBC lightweight championship in Las Vegas and become the first Asian to hold four different titles at different weights and the first Filipino to hold the crown. Even the late, great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde failed in his 2 attempts to wrest the world lightweight crown.

An animated Diaz, surprising for someone who just kissed the canvas, admitted after the fight that he never saw Pacquiao’s right-left jab combination coming and walked right into it. Diaz was lavish in his praise of Pacquiao. Manny won it on speed and accuracy, rather than power, putting to rest speculations that he might have slowed down as he went up a heavier weight class. He also mixed a solid body attack with combination shots to the head, but the sturdy Diaz refused to go down. Until the decisive 9th round.

It was a battle of lefties, and Manny outfoxed Diaz by coming out with his “secret weapon”, a crushing right jab which he followed with his left, thereby putting his opponent off guard. Pacquiao first snapped Diaz’s head with a mean right jab, moved in closer to his opponent and unleashed a 1-2 combo capped by a powerful left cross that decked Diaz. In Diaz’ words:

He was fucking fast, I didn’t see [the left hand] coming.

Boxing writers have dubbed Pacquiao the “Mexecutioner“, for obvious reasons. Read the rest of this entry »

The credit card division of the Philippine unit of Citibank has been running a radio and online ad campaign featuring testimonials from purported clients whose lives have allegedly been saved by having their Citibank credit cards handy. The radio feel-good spots always end with the satisfied client saying their names and the final line “…and this is my Citibank story”. A recent post in the Citibank “What’s your story ?” site (”home to beautiful, moving and memorable stories about the Citi Card that beg to be told”) equates God with Citibank.

Almighty GOD is the greatest savior, but so is CITIBANK.

Well, this is my Citibank story. Read the rest of this entry »

DISCLAIMER : This entry is just my personal opinion and I do not represent or espouse the position of any party involved in the matter discussed. It is just my take on the issue based on my knowledge of the law as it relates to the situation under consideration. My statements should not be taken as legal advice by any of the parties involved.

I spoke too soon when I said in another post that it was a lucky break for the MV Princess of the Stars to have sunk where it did, just a kilometer or two from Sibuyan Island in Romblon, where survivors could swim or drift to safety. If the weather improved, that is. But it was of course stormy, and bodies of drowned ferry passengers were found as far away as Camarines Norte, hundreds of kilometers to the north. Today’s headline in the Philippine Star says it all, “Everywhere, bodies”.

That Sulpicio Lines, as a common carrier, may be held civilly liable for the deaths of the ill-starred passengers is a settled issue. The pertinent provisions of the Philippine Civil Code provides:

ART. 1755. A common carrier is bound to carry the passengers to safety as far as human care and foresight can provide, using the utmost diligence of very cautious persons, with a due regard for all the circumstances.

ART. 1756. In case of death of or injuries to passengers, common carriers are presumed to have been at fault or to have acted negligently, unless they prove that they observed extraordinary diligence as prescribed in articles 1733 and 1755. (Emphasis supplied) Read the rest of this entry »

Typhoon Frank (international code name: Fengshan) hit the Visayas region yesterday, killing at least 17 with scores missing, including the passengers of an inter-island ferry which sank off Sibuyan Island in Romblon province, and continues to lash Luzon as I write this. Thankfully, while it slammed Metro Manila full force early this morning , with maximum winds of 120 kph and gustiness of up to 150 kph., our abode suffered no damage as far as I can see. It blew part of the roof off the church annex being built across the street, but spared our house. The debris now hangs across the utility wires adjacent to our neighbor’s house. It could have hit our residence but didn’t, thanks to divine providence.

Read also: Typhoon Frank, the MV Princess of the Stars Tragedy and the Culture of Disaster

My good fortune was compounded when I found this video in the Far East Economic Review’s Travellers’ Tales while surfing. In the run-off to the Beijing Olympics in August, the Chinese have set new standards for taste and class in promoting the games, this time involving around 1,200 girls forming the iconic Olympic rings.

Something to brighten up an otherwise gray day. Such is life.

Read also:L.A. Lakers and Bostons Celtics on the Verge of NBA Championship Series

As predicted, the hungrier, grittier team won. The Boston Celtics mercilessly crushed the L.A. Lakers, 131-92 at Boston, to clinch the team’s historic 17th NBA championship, the most for any NBA franchise. Two of Boston’s Big Three, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, together with guard Rajon Rondo, came through with big numbers to lead the Celtics charge, and win Game 6 and what was supposed to be a 7-game series, 4 games to 2. Paul Pierce, the series MVP and Celtics’ go-to guy of the past three games played in L.A., was limited to only 17 points amid the tight defense thrown against him by the Lakers. But Rondo more than made up for the slack, scoring 21 . Thus ended a 22-year title drought for the Cinderella Celtics, the second-worst team in the NBA just last season.

It was a classic match-up, pitting the workmanlike, blue-collar Celtics against the flash and dash of the Hollywood Lakers, led by superstar Kobe Bryant. Read the rest of this entry »