The Filipinos love of high octane and physical sports is threatened to face extinction and completely become obsolete once a proposed bill succeed in congress. Congressman Eduardo Joson of Nueva Ecija filed House Bill 3743, which calls for the complete ban of all contact or combat sports in the country.
In his proposed bill, the solon unmitigatedly included boxing-the most popular and well appreciated sport of the Filipino people-to be banned completely. The solon described combat sports especially boxing as bloody and deadly. He singled out boxing as violent that inflict harm, pain, blood lust and death.
The legislator noted that violent sports encourage violent behavior among the people particularly the young generations. According to him, his pet bill would help make people to be great achievers by joining non violent sports through proper training, discipline and dedication without hurting others just to gain wealth, fame and praises.
Great as it may sound, but various sectors in the country reacted strongly to the proposed House Bill 3743. Boxers like Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao rebuked the idea to ban boxing in the Philippines. He decried the proposal as highfalutin that should not be taken seriously.
Sports analysts and boxing aficionados strongly opposed the bill and considered it as highly insensitive. They said that boxing is the bread and butter of the majority of the boxers who come from the poor sector of Philippine society. Boxers are not only aiming for stardom but to free their families from abject poverty.
The Philippines have produced many rugs to riches stories of past and present boxing heroes who brought honor and prestige to the country. And yet a congressman is seeking to ban boxing as if it only serves man’s savagery and lust for blood like what the savage warriors did in killing each other in front of thousands of spectators inside the coliseum of the old Roman Empire.
April 5, 2008 at 3:32 pm |
I am Geoff Hughes from Vancouver, Canada
I have been to the beautiful Philippines and travelled with Manny Pacquiao from Manila to Cebu and visited with him for one week last year in Cebu.
Everywhere I went with Manny, we were overwelmed with the love of the Philippine people both for the sport of boxing and their beloved Manny.
I believe, from what I witnessed in my brief visit that if this house bill were ever to proceed it could possibly cause civil revolt and riots. Pacquiao is the peoples champion and demonstrates, with healthy pride and humility to the Philippine people around the world their ability to overcome adversity and setbacks if they will work hard to improve their skills and never give up in what they believe in.