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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 24 Nov) – Malacanang welcomed world boxing icon Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao’s victory over American Brandon Rios via a unanimous decision after 12 rounds at the Venetian Cotai Arena in Macau Sunday, calling it a “well of strength” and an “inspiration for a country still reeling from the catastrophe wrought by super typhoon Yolanda on November 8.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda welcomed the good news on behalf of the Palace, in a statement issued immediately after Pacquiao’s win.
Pacquiao, lone representative of Sarangani province in Mindanao, won the World Boxing Organization’s International Welterweight Belt against Rios.
As is usual in every Pacquiao fight, the streets of Mindanao were again empty on Sunday as residents opted to watch Pacquiao’s fight in restaurants offering live coverage or gymnasiums offering free admission, or listen to the radio stations covering the fight.
Displaced residents in evacuation centers in the Yolanda-devastated areas as well as those displaced n Zambaonga City during the September standoff, were treated to a free showing of Pacquiao’s fight live from Macau via satellite.
(MindaNews)
