MDM TUESDAY | MARCH 12, 2019 P11 Who shall succeed in the is now back on the road and best of the lot. 56-0 record as an amateur footsteps of Manny Pacquiao under a new management Former two-time world and has never been floored once the Pambansang Kamao determined to bring him back champion Gerry Peñalosa is nor stopped in the amateurs finally bows out of the ring? in shape for a world title impressed by what he sees. or pros. The only pro to go The verdict is that there match in the United States in a “The kid has charisma,” the distance with Martin was will only be one Manny year’s time. He has since also said Peñalosa. “He’s not Jason Buenaobra who lost Pacquiao. avenged his defeat to Vasquez. hard to talk with. Carl is an eight-round decision in But two younger Filipinos His victory over explosive and left-handed. He 2017. Martin said he had just may yet fill up the void in a Indonesia’s Arief Blader at reminds me a lot of Manny recovered from illness and few years from now. The two the SM (Pasay) in May 2018 (Pacquiao). Like Manny, he was not at full strength. But in fact are southpaws like proved he still has the skills has tremendous power. What he decked Buenaobra in the Pacquiao, idolize him, and are and on the way back to his he lacks is experience. We second round on the way to a equally explosive in the ring. fighting form. Sonsona also In search of the next won’t rush him. We’ll test him clear-cut verdict. The first is the vowed to be a different man Manny Pacquiao and bring him up slowly. By Martin said that as a kid California-based Marvin from the 19-year-old kid who next year, he should be ready he idolized Pacquiao himself “Marvelous” Sonsona who once was tagged as among for a world title shot.” and started boxing at the age shot to prominence when, the most promising Filipino Peñalosa also introduced of 6. His elder cousin, Stephen as a 19-year-old in 2009, he fighters at that time. Martin to Ever Bilena CEO Loman, is an MMA fighter defeated Jose Lopez for the But he is still 28 and may Two younger Filipinos may Dioceldo Sy who has included of Team Lakay, alongside WBO super flyweight world yet be able to realize his dream the fighter in the stable of another townmate, the world title. of becoming a worthy world yet fill up the void in a few years athletes he is supporting. champion Kevin Belingon. Unfortunately for champion like Pacquiao. Other Ever Bilena athletes are It also helped a lot that the newly-minted world The second who is from now. swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi Martin’s father, a retired champion then from General tagged as another Pacquiao and tennis prodigy Manolo army soldier, thought of Santos City, complacency in the making is 19-year- Angara. establishing a boxing stable and immaturity took hold of old Carl James “Wonder Martin was recently cited in his hometown that is now his life and he was stripped of Boy” C. Martin who trains by The Ring Magazine as attracting young boys to train his title when he missed the under former boxing world worthiest and latest fight at knockdowns in the first round one of five Filipino prospects in boxing. It was this father weight in his first title defense. champion Gerry Peñalosa in the SM Edsa, he dominated and unleashing a non-stop under the category “Keep who thought of approaching His first loss in 22 fights Manila. and eventually knocked down barrage in the third. The Thai An Eye On.” His last five Peñalosa one day to help train to Wilfredo Vasquez sent his Martin has compiled the Thai veteran, Petchhorhae failed to answer the ring in opponents were fighters from his son. Peñalosa also donated life on a spiral, leading to a an unbeaten record of 12 Kokietgym (17-2-0) in a the fourth, handing Martin China, Indonesia, Thailand, a pair of punching bags to the three-year hiatus from the professional wins, 11 of them match covered by ESPN. another abbreviated victory. Tanzania and South Korea. Lagawe gym. ring. He later attributed this by knockout. Martin carved the victory Ringside commentators said Rappler reported that Martin If Peñalosa is not to the premature birth of a A southpaw, Martin’s via a streak of explosive they see in Martin a champion started boxing when he was mistaken, Martin may be the daughter that forced him to style is likened to the stretches reminiscent in the making, adding that all six and climbed the ring for next face of boxing in the next look after his family full-time. explosive Pacquiao and is fun of Pacquiao, handling he needed is more experience his first official amateur bout decade as Pacquiao eventually The assurance is that he to watch in the ring. In his his opponent a pair of to contend up there with the a year later. He compiled a hangs up his gloves. I was browsing on the the country and the floating oppose the policies of has been doing? The Internet, while loading cocaine blocks. He also sitting presidents; and some identification and the the laundry into the seemed to have not minded leaders of the Catholic arrests or deaths of machine in between, when the almost daily reports of Church, who are identified pushers and drug lords are I came across an article people hooked on drugs, with the LP, one way or already forms of supply by JC Punongbayan, who raping or killing for fun. another. intervention. One drug was described as a PhD In fact, Punongbayan Back to Punongbayan, lord arrested or killed, one candidate at the UP School was so sure Digong was he said that the “inflated supply chain disrupted. On of Economics, and was lying to his teeth and was and unverifiable statistics addressing the demand side, published on Rappler. just “painting an ever-direr betray the fact that Duterte how many drug dependents Before I go further, I picture of the country’s is manufacturing a drug had surrendered and have am publicly disclosing that drug problem (as) part and Exaggerated crisis to suit his own ends.” undergone rehabilitation? I also write for Rappler. parcel of Duterte’s overall “But aside from this, Hundreds of thousands. In his piece, political strategy.” notice too that he recently After undergoing rehab, Punongbayan started off by He charged that elevated the problem they got further assistance saying that while Digong’s Digong has been framing ‘to the level of national such as livelihood so they government is nearing its the drug problem as a security.’ This is crucial would not go back to their end, the country’s drug national security issue since security crises are old ways. problem is far from being by exaggerating it – to Authoritarian? Digong authoritarian leaders’ best As to reducing the solved. support or “justify his war friends,” he said, citing affordability of drugs, it has “By all accounts, things on drugs, which caters to cannot even force Congress, Harvard political scientists admittedly become very even seem to have gotten his authoritarian style of even if it is being run by his Steven Levitsky and Daniel cheap – because drug lords worse,” he concluded, leadership.” Ziblatt. wanted to dispose of their adding that Digong had But wait. allies, to pass the national Punongbayan then stocks fast. recently proclaimed that Isn’t it possible that budget on time. said that the war on drugs, Punongbayan said, there are “seven to eight the worsening drug crisis being “the centerpiece” “We’ve given the war on million Filipinos reduced is also the work of those of Digong’s policies, is drugs a chance, but it’s to slaves to a drug called in the opposition? I am not “an easy vehicle for him high time we tried other shabu. Seven to eight saying that they are directly to consolidate power and solutions.” But did he and million lost souls.” involved in the drug execute his authoritarian those in the opposition? Punongbayan said network, although many in government -- retired the so-called tokhang in style of leadership.” From day one up to Digong also spoke about Liberal Party members police general Marcelo Davao City also came Authoritarian? this time, they had been the worsening drug had turned to be alleged Garbo – had been said to under scrutiny by the LP. Digong cannot even criticizing, so where is the problem with the entry drug lords themselves – take charge of the shabu It’s as if they were force Congress, even if it chance they had given? of Colombia’s Medellin there was former mayor supply in the Visayas. trying to prevent Digong is being run by his allies, to To end, the piece Cartel, as evidenced by Jed Mabilog of Iloilo, who It is also in the Visayas from winning. pass the national budget on sounds nothing but just floating blocks of cocaine was incidentally a cousin where another LP stalwart, When he became time. an endless rant against in several areas for the past of Senator Franklin Drilon’ Daanbantayan Mayor President, the effort had Punongbayan then Digong to push forward the weeks. s. Other LP stalwarts Vicente Loot, is allegedly a become too obvious with went on to say that “a candidacy of those in the What is interesting in allegedly involved in drugs drug lord.