Aquino: All Filipinos will be cheering for Manny Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday, May 2, said “all Filipinos will be cheering for Manny [Pacquiao]” during his much-awaited fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas on Sunday (Philippine time).

The President also said he hoped the fight of top-ranking Pacquiao will be the “crowning glory of his career, a source of pride for his family and country.”

On the eve of the fight with Mayweather, Aquino said he is “very confident” that Pacquiao would do “our countryment proud as he has always done.”

The cheers for Pacquiao will come “in every punch and every step during his fight with Floyd Mayweather,” Aquino said. The President thanked Pacquiao, who is also a member of the House of Representatives, for “being an inspiration for every Filipino.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with radio station dzRB, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in Filipino that whatever the result of the fight would be, the entire Filipino nation’s admiration and support for him will remain.

“At siyempre ang gusto naman natin pong makita bukas ay talagang magtagumpay ang ating pambansang kamao,” she added. (And of course, we want to see the “national fist” winning tomorrow.)

The Philippines is expected to informally shut down, with crime rates dropping drastically, as Pacquiao and Mayweather gear up for battle on Sunday, Philippine time.

Local officials, government offices, and businesses will be sponsoring free public viewings of the fight as well, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines saying it will offer live viewing of the event in major camps around the country. – Rappler.com