Arroyo on Pacquiao win: What a masterpiece!

President Arroyo congratulated People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao for winning the WBC lightweight title, describing the fight at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in Las Vegas as a "masterpiece."

"What a masterpiece," Mrs. Arroyo said in a statement sent by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza from San Francisco, California.

Pacquiao, who knocked out Mexican-American David Diaz to win his fourth title, has proven anew to the world the ability and strength of Filipinos in the boxing arena, Mrs. Arroyo said.

"Manny once again showed the sterling quality of excellence of a Filipino at his best," she said after watching the fight on TV while awaiting her flight back to Manila.

The President said the whole country is rejoicing over the Filipino icon’s new feat.

The President just wrapped up a week-long official visit to the US.

Mrs. Arroyo is expected to arrive in Manila early Monday.

Aside from uniting Filipinos across the globe, deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said Pacquiao’s win has also brought hope and pride to the country, which is still reeling from the devastation brought by Typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen).

"With our country experiencing tough times brought about by the recent disaster, Manny has given the country hope and pride once again by reminding us that we can be triumphant over any adversary we are facing," Golez said in a text message.

Prior to the fight, Pacquiao said his match with Diaz was for the victims of Typhoon Frank. Reports said Pacquiao would donate a large sum of his prize to the typhoon victims.

Golez added that "his handiwork and determination has brought glory and respect to our country."

Pacquiao makes history

Pacquiao made history by knocking out Diaz in the ninth round, winning his fourth title before a jampacked crowd.

Pacquiao sent a battered Diaz down the canvas 2:24 in Round 9 to snatch the WBC lightweight title, thus becoming the first Asian to win four titles in four different divisions.

Interviewed after the fight, Pacquiao said he was impressed with Diaz.

"I'm very surprised. You know, Diaz, I think he's the toughest opponent that I've had...and I'm very surprised that he kept a lot of strong punches and power punches," Pacquiao said.

Asked if he will stay at lightweight, the champ said: "It depends on Bob's decision. I can fight 140 or I can fight 135 lbs."

For his part, Bob Arum, the promoter of the "Lethal Combination" fight card headlined by Pacquiao and Diaz, said the strict regimen he and chief trainer Freddie Roach imposed on Pacquiao paid off.

Arum said that at the onset, he and Roach decided to keep Pacquiao in the gym in Los Angeles, California, to train for the fight instead of opting for a longer stay in the Philippines.

"No fight, no training in the Philippines anymore. Look at the shape he's in, look at the punches he threw," Arum added.

The Top Rank big boss added that he and Roach are also concerned with Pacquiao's activities outside the ring, especially immediately before a scheduled match.

"We do. That's why Freddie and me beat the hell out of him," Arum said of Pacquiao's post-fight dates in the past, which included politics and entertainment.

Pacquiao ran for a congressional seat in his native General Santos City in the Philippines in the May 2007 elections. He lost.

Aside from politics, the champ also hosts a weekly television show.

Another one for the 'Pacman'

Before winning the lightweight title, Pacquiao won the WBC super featherweight and flyweight belts and the IBF super bantamweight crown. He also held Ring Magazine's super featherweight title.

The Filipino’s date with history was unquestioned during the fight, as he outclassed a slower Diaz throughout the match.

Pacquiao was the clear aggressor starting from the opening round as he launched a vastly improved right hand against Diaz.

By Round 4, Diaz already had a puffy left eye and cut on the bridge of his nose. In Round 5, his right brow was badly bleeding.

In Round 6, referee Vic Drakulich had to temporarily stop the fight to have the ringside doctor check on Diaz's wound.

Pacquiao continued to punish the Mexican-American in the succeeding rounds, until he caught Diaz with a one-two to the chin some late in Round 9.

The Filipino's left fist sent the champ to the canvas face first.

The fight ended with Diaz lying flat on the canvas.

Pacquiao’s record improved to 47-3-2 with 36 victories by knockout. Diaz, meanwhile, suffered his second career-loss against 34 wins.

Before the fight, most analysts saw the Filipino having the edge over Diaz in terms of skills, speed and punching power.

However, speculations about his added weight spread as observers expressed concern on how it would affect his performance inside the ring.

Pacquiao was a super featherweight (130 pounds) when he won the division’s WBC crown from Juan Manuel Marquez on March 15. He immediately climbed to lightweight (135 pounds) to challenge Diaz.

The Filipino has been dubbed "The Mexi-cutioner" for his successive victories against Mexican fighters in his last fights.

Pacquiao KOs Diaz for WBC lightweight title

LAS VEGAS – Round-by-round coverage of Manny Pacquiao’s WBC lightweight title-winning effort against David Diaz from the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

ROUND 1
Crowd is heavily pro-Pacquiao as Michael Buffer introduces them. Ex-world champion Fernando Vargas, who has gotten very heavy, walks to the ring with Diaz. The fighters meet in the center of the ring as the bell sounds. Pacquiao lands two lefts. Pacquiao is circling and Diaz is moving forward. Diaz lands a combination to the body. Combination to the head and body by Pacquiao. Hard left by Pacquiao. Diaz lands a left. Pacquaio’s jab gets through three times in a row. Combination to the head by Pacquiao. Speed edge is huge for Pacquiao. Diaz misses badly with a hook. It’s easy right now for Pacquiao. Diaz lands a right and Pacquiao is warned for holding. Four-punch combination by Pacquiao brings a roar from the crowd.
Iole scores it 10-9, Pacquiao

ROUND 2
They trade inside as the round starts. Now, they’re wrestling. Diaz fires a combination to the head, but Pacquiao lands a counter left. Left-right-left from Pacquiao lands. Good left from Diaz. Hard left by Pacquiao. Right hook and a left from Pacquiao. Jab and a hook to the body by Pacquiao. Overhand left from Pacquiao lands. Right hook snaps Diaz’s head. Left-right combination to the head by Pacquiao. He’s teeing off on Diaz. Right hook by Pacquiao. Pacquiao lands a five-punch combination. It’s ridiculously easy at this point for Pacquiao. He’s far outclassing Diaz. Diaz has reddening around the eyes. Another hard combination by Pacquiao.
Iole scores it 10-9, Pacquiao

ROUND 3
Diaz opens with a jab. Pacquiao double jabs and then a left. Right hook from Pacquiao. Diaz lands a good right. Four-punch combination to the head by Pacquiao. Hard left by Pacquiao. Pacquiao is simply far too fast. It’s a mismatch at this point. Right hook by Manny lands. Diaz digs to the body. Diaz has a cut on the bridge of his nose, but it shouldn’t be a factor. Jab-left by Pacquiao snaps Diaz’s head. They tie up for only a second and the crowd boos. It’s been a fast pace. Diaz roughs Pacquiao up inside and lands a short right. Combination to the body by Pacquiao. Left cross lands by Pacquiao. Hook to the body by Diaz.
Iole scores it 10-9, Pacquiao

ROUND 4
Pacquiao opens with a jab. Diaz lands a right. Hook to the body and hook to the head by Diaz. Pacquiao lands a left that stuns Diaz. Another hard left by Pacquiao. Diaz is cut badly on the right eye. Referee Vic Drakulich stops the fight briefly to allow the doctor to examine the cut. He’s OK to go, but it will bother him. Hard right by Pacquiao. Right hand and then a big left by Pacquiao. Diaz wobbles. Pacquiao is firing away and landing hard, crisp shots. He’s totally dominant. Left by Pacquiao and then they clinch. They trade hard blows, but Pacquiao lands several more. Hook by Pacquiao.
Iole scores it 10-9, Pacquiao

ROUND 5
Diaz’s corner has done a good job closing the cut. Diaz lands a hook to the body. Pacquiao lands a hard right. Right by Pacquiao and then a right-left combination on the chin. These punches are going to take a toll on Diaz pretty soon. Chopping left by Pacquiao. Diaz bending at the waist and bobbing and weaving, trying to find a way to avoid the punishment. Two rights by Pacquiao lands as the crowd roars its approval. Left to the body by Pacquiao. This is an extremely impressive performance. Diaz cracks Pacquiao with a good right, his best punch of the fight. Three-punch combination by Pacquiao to the head.
Iole scores it 10-9, Pacquiao

ROUND 6
Diaz’s cut is on his eyelid and is in a very bad position. Pacquiao is circling and flicks a jab. Diaz lands a right. Pacquiao lands a double hook. Cut is bleeding heavily. Pacquiao not quite as aggressive in this round, but is still landing what he throws. They wrestle in the center. Diaz warned for hitting behind the head. Good left to the head by Pacquiao. Short right inside by Pacquiao. Diaz lands a jab and then a right hand. Three-punch combination inside by Pacquiao and then a hard right to the head. Drakulich calls time to have the cut checked. He lets it continue.
Iole scores it 10-9, Pacquiao

ROUND 7
Diaz said in between rounds, “Those punches are just too fast.” Diaz misses badly with a hook. Pacquiao lands a jab and then a right. They’re warned for rough tactics. Right to the body by Diaz, but Pacquiao answers with a 1-2 to the head. Left to the body and then to the head by Pacquiao. Diaz lands a jab. Three-punch combination inside by Pacquiao, who just gets off so much quicker. They clinch in the middle. Diaz pops a jab. Pacquiao lands an uppercut and then a right.
Iole scores it 10-9, Pacquiao

ROUND 8
Pacquiao opens with a couple of hard punches to the head. How much punishment is the corner going to let Diaz take? They need to think of stopping it now. Diaz seems to have no shot, not even the lucky punch chance to keep his title. Right-left-right by Pacquiao sends Diaz sagging to the ropes. Diaz fights his way off, only to be pummeled in the center of the ring with a blistering combination. Pacquiao raking him along the ropes. This is horrendous. Diaz is taking a frightful beating. Pacquiao continues to batter him with shots. Pacquiao lands a five-punch combination to the head, all of which were hard shots. Left by Pacquiao catches Diaz on the way in. Diaz is wincing.
Iole scores it 10-8, Pacquiao

ROUND 9
Diaz’s face is a mess as the round starts and Pacquiao resumes the assault. Pacquiao lands a three-punch combination to the head. Diaz throws a left and a right, which Pacquiao blocks with his gloves. Diaz simply can’t land much. Straight left by Manny snaps Diaz’s head back. Diaz’s left eye is blackening and closing quickly. Pacquiao circles and flicks a couple of jabs. Right hand inside followed by a left sends Diaz down face first. The ref doesn’t even bother to count and waves off the fight at 2:24.
Pacquiao wins by knockout

115 bodies spotted in Burias, Camarines Sur - DOTC exec

MANILA, Philippines - Searchers scouring the areas near Sibuyan Island where the MV Princess of the Stars capsized have reported seeing 115 bodies floating near the province of Camarines Sur and Burias Island in Masbate.

A television report aired Wednesday night quoted a Philippine transportation official who said that the figure of 115 bodies was different from the 115 figure reported Tuesday.

"As of 9:30 p.m. today, we have sightings of 115 bodies somewhere in the vicinity between Burias Island and Camarines Sur and 15 bodies in the bridge level of the sunken vessel," Transportation undersecretary for Maritime Transport Elena Bautista said.

She was referring to the bridge section of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars which capsized off Sibuyan Island near Romblon where divers saw 15 bodies trapped.

"I'd like to stress that these are sightings and we still have to retrieve the actual bodies,"Bautista, who was interviewed over QTV's News on Q, added.

Of the 115 spotted near Camarines and Burias, seven have been recovered while only five were retrieved out of the 15 bodies trapped inside the MV Princess of the Stars bridge.

Bautista, who is also the head of Task Force 'Princess of Stars,' also said that authorities were still not sure if the 115 bodies spotted Wednesday came from the capsized ship.

Of the 115 bodies - all from the MV Princess of the Stars - recovered on Tuesday, 48 were survivors while 67 were fatalities.

An earlier report said that most of the bodies spotted Wednesday was based on sightings made by US planes which have been scouring the area for survivors.

The death toll of Typhoon Frank - based on National Disaster Coordinating Committee' latest data - was pegged at 288 people killed, 45 missing and another 165 injured.

Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said some 135 fishing vessels from Regions 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 sank at the height of typhoon Frank.

The sinkings resulted in the deaths of 10 fishermen and the rescue of 128 people.

However, another 137 seamen are still reported missing.

A ship which got caught in the typhoon - the MV My Lake of Paoay - was carrying some 5,000 metric tons of coal from Semirara island to Toledo in Cebu city when it sank of the coasts of Carles in Iloilo.

Of its 30 passengers, four survivors were rescued but 19 others remain missing.

Presidential assistant for Western Visayas Raul Barias said Carles residents have expressed concern over the oil that started to leak from the sunken cargo vessel.

Barias said they are monitoring the developments closely as they prepare for clearing operations.

For her part, President Arroyo ordered the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to conduct a "systematic needs assessment" and to properly coordinate it with the United Nations following the expected downpour of aid from the international community.

Arroyo issued the directive during a video conference with members of the Cabinet and NDCC who were in Malacañang around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Manila.

The President said foreign leaders have already started to pledge aid.

She cited the offer of Hawaii governor Linda Lingle to send the National Guard stationed in Hawaii to help in search and recsue operations, and the offer of Spain which "has come forward and presented itself to help the country in its search and rescue efforts".

"You have to do the Needs Assessment systematically and apprise the different countries, knowing their respective capabilities," she said.

She added that there was a need for the country to inform international donors of specific requirements "to facilitate the immediate deployment of the respective country's pledge of aid".- GMANews.TV