ANGELES CITY – The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) has joined the call of former Senator Rene Saguis-ag for the suspension of Rep. Manny Pacquiao from the House of Representatives up to the end of his term.
Earlier, Saguisag lambasted the fighting congressman-Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) playing coach for treating Congress as a “hobby” and as top absentee in his letter to the editor published by the Inquirer.
Ruperto Cruz, PGKM chair, and like Saguisag, has also called for the suspension of Pacquiao from Congress sayingthe work of a congressman is “a full time job.” Cruz said Pacquiao should know his limitations.
It is very clear that the PBA is just after his money and Pacquiao’s pockets are being picked literally by greedy corporations for their own selfish interests, he added.
Cruz said the PBA has violated its own rules in allowing Pacquiao as playing coach for Team KIA for pecuniary interest. “Why should the PBA bend its rules for Pacquiao if it is not interested in getting his money?” Cruz asked.
Cruz also criticized the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for giving the Pinoy boxing icon the honorary rank of acommodore.
A Philippine News Agency (PNA) report said the PCG has conferred the rank to Pacquiao which is equivalent to brigadier general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) making him an honorary “one-star general.”
It was supposedly a gift on his 36th birthday. The report also said the Sarangani representative took the oath as a member of the PCG Auxiliary unit on Wednesday last week. Pacquiao currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the AFP’s Reserve Force.
The Coast Guard is an attached agency to the Department of Transportation of Communications (DOTC). It was reported that the PCG rank was bestowed upon Pacquiao allegedly to access use of his yacht and helicopter in emergencies such as calamities.
Cruz expressed doubts if Pacquiao would allow use of his vehicles. And even if he did, Cruz questioned their appropriateness for such purposes as rescue, retrieval and relief operations.
“If the PCG rank is an award for Pacquiao for possible use of his chopper and yacht, then why did not the PCG awarded the same ranks to those individuals who have long been lending their equipment, vehicles to government during calamities,”
Cruz asked, even as he mentioned the Ayalas, Lopezes, Aboitizes and others as having served such purpose.
At the rate ranks and titles are bestowed upon Pacquiao, from seargeant to colonel in he Army to commodore now, a national hero status as “Pambansang Kamao”
Cruz said he would not be surprised if religious groups would push for his canonization as a saint. “God forbid that President Aquino would declare him Honorary President,” Cruz said.
“Then, pours would not anymore be a banana republic but a garbage republic.”
This is the reason why the PGKM is calling for competence in governance, he added.
