Aquino’s anti-corruption, poverty reduction programs get an unlikely boost in Congress

By DAVID CASUCO

LOS ANGELES – President Benigno Simeon Aquino III finds a very unlikely ally in Congress. The guy is extremely intelligent and corruption is not in his vocabulary. He is Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello.

Bello, a brilliant academician and human rights activist who is noted for his anti-establishment attitude, decided to ally with the administration because the vision of his party complements with what Aquino wants to accomplish on corruption and poverty reduction.

“It is for these reasons that we ( at Akbayan) decided ‘this is the president that we can support’,” said Bello. “The people’s support for this administration is quite high.” He said he still hopes the president can fulfill its “walang mahirap kapag walang corrupt’ campaign mantra.

Bello, who chairs the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs in Congress, was in town to have a close encounter with the eleven Filipino workers who reportedly were victims of illegal labor trafficking. He told the Fil-Am media that he has nothing to report on his investigation at this time because he has encountered only one of them, so far.

But he had a lot to say about the government and its anti-corruption and poverty alleviation programs.

At the Pulong Bayan held at the Rizal Hall of the Philippine Consulate General, Bello admitted that the anti-corruption campaign got off to a shaky takeoff. He said that when the president established the Truth Commission to ferret out people associated with irregularities of the past administration, the Supreme Court stepped in and rendered it unconstitutional.

“But we finally took off, we have stabilized, and I think we will have a soft landing in a form of an impeachment. In a few years we will see prosecutions of corrupt officials,” Bello said. (As this story is being written, Mercy Gutierrez resigned from her post as Ombudsman). It goes without saying that with a new Ombudsman there will be no more impediments for the government to go after the corrupt personalities associated with the past administration.”

The second major agenda, which is the poverty reduction, was launched in 2008 with four pilot areas in Agusan del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Pasay City, and Caloocan City.

Recent study has it that the Philippines’ poverty rate seems to have increased between 2003 and 2006, this despite the continuous economic growth posted by economic indicators over the years, including last year when it had a 0.9 percent gain. The Philippines was among the few countries that managed to remain afloat despite the global economic meltdown.

The sustained growth notwithstanding, the Philippines failed to take a bite at the poverty incidence rate. Bello said NSO statistics released recently showed that the number of the poor in Phl stands at 26.5 in February 2011. It is surprisingly slightly higher compared to the 26.4 in 2006.

Meanwhile, the SWS survey reports that what the Philippines has, right now, is 51 percent of Filipinos rate themselves as poor, up 49 percent last November. The same survey indicated that one out of every three Filipinos wants to get out of the country; and that over 20 percent of the Philippines workforce are stationed abroad.

“The challenge is very great,” said Bello. “But you have to give this administration a chance. It is barely one year old.”

The chance that Bello counts on is the ongoing poverty reduction program called the conditional cash transfer (CCT). What is seeks to achieve is break the poverty trap by providing immediate relief (transfers) and incentives for investments in health and education.

What it does is give cash to poor households chosen through an objective poverty targeting mechanism. The poor family will be able to avail of the program on condition that it limits to no more than three children and that their children go to school and use preventive health care.

“It is not a doleout, it is not free money. It is money given conditionally,” said Bello. “The $37-a month cash stipend will be given to families only if they agree to put their children in school and not pull them out, and subject them to regular health screenings. And that is why it is a conditional cash transfer.”

Bello said an estimated 1.4 million families had been integrated into the CCT program by the middle of this year. If successful, the program will cover one million more poor households.■

Leo Maranan swings the lead

EDITORIAL By DAVID CASUCO

Leo Maranan is modest and self-effacing. Hindsight, one sees him as just the ordinary run-of-the-mill Pinoy leader that self-destructs, crumbles, and dissipates under a drizzle.

So, why was he chosen to lead a team of opinionated and headstrong men and women who are working for the Kalayaan 2011 Grand Ball, which is the biggest Filipino-American event in the Southland commemorating the 113th Philippine Independence Day celebrations?

Until now, even the people closest to him, have not been able to size him up if he is a weak or strong leader. They are not able to figure out his true worth because he does not talk a lot, and he is a newbie in the community. But because I am a journalist, our man does not have any choice but to deal with me. I met, talked, and interviewed the “man on the mirror” and I saw his reflections in a very different light.

The guy is steely tough. His bashful manner belies the steadfast strength of his character. He stands on solid ground and he is not concerned about shifting shadows. He is focused on the task that he is supposed to do. Like a lot of great achieving leaders, Maranan is somewhat uncomfortable in the spotlight; he lets his efficient moves do the talking.

Little wonder, he is not bothered by unsettling situations that threaten to upset the order of things in the planning of the Big Event; not some self-serving mavericks, not a knotty coverage issue, not the usual vicious community critics. He has his own compelling way of dealing with every problem; he solves them, and very quickly.

At the second community meeting held Friday night at the Rizal Hall of the Philippine Consulate, this writer asked him if it is true that there is a chasm that is developing in his organization, that some disgruntled members of the executive committee are not in sync with what he wants to accomplish.

His response: “I haven’t heard of anything like that… If there is a problem, I will talk to them.”

I thought I heard an angelic host proclaim, “Hallelujah!”

People haven’t noticed it; Maranan is a very effective and insightful leader. He knows how to handle and to lead even in a very unfavorable and hostile setting like the highly divisive Filipino community. He is a man of few words; but the things that he does speak volumes.

Fil-Am girl vying for Miss Teen California crown

By DAVID CASUCO

When the contestants for the 2012 Miss California Teen take center stage in November, fourteen year-old Taylor Ligan will be among those pretty young girls aspiring for the coveted crown.

The five-foot-four freshman at the Granada Hills High School, is a second generation Filipino-American. Her parents are Mel Ligan and Aileen Rose, who hail from Davao and Cebu respectively. The Ligans reside in Arleta.

Taylor said that winning the crown, if it happens, should be a bonus. What she is focused on is the experience and the fun that she will get from participating in such a prestigious national event. She said that even before the contest itself, the contestants will be attending a lot of red-carpet and media events. That alone, she said, sounds very exciting.

“It should be a nice thing to look back when I am older … see that at age 14 I was already doing cool things for myself,” she said. “My focus is the experience, making friends and having fun… winning would be just a bonus.”

Aside from being articulate and charming, Taylor possesses talents to complement her beauty. She plays the piano and violin, and pretty much into sports like basketball and volleyball. She reads a lot. Mystery paperbacks by Caroline Cooney are her favorites.

Taylor is an achiever in her own right. When she was n 5th grade, she received the “Presidential and Academic” Award. The following year, she as voted as “Most Likely to Succeed,” and last year she was voted as the “Class Clown.” What these mean is that Taylor belongs to that group of young people who by just being themselves, can easily stand out from the crowd. And this could very well help her a lot during the Miss Teen California pageant.

On community outreach, Taylor is also very much involved. She is a member of her church group that regularly visits the elderly at senior centers and convalescent homes. Also, she is a regular volunteer at the Midnight Missions, serving food to the homeless people in downtown L.A.

A goal-oriented and level-headed young girl, Taylor said she wants to be a nurse someday, so that she can help save lives like what the Children’s Hospital did to her. Incidentally, Taylor will be representing the Children’s Hospital-Los Angeles in the contest. She chose the hospital because when her life as a baby was threatened, the facility responded and saved her life.

Taylor is keen and very proud of her Filipino heritage. She admires Filipino celebrities like Charice, and is partial to Filipino food and delicacies like halo-halo, lumpia, and durian. Now, she is asking the Filipino-American community to support her by giving her a “like” on Facebook. She said “Most Likes” is one category in the contest. Just google Taylor Ligan and it will bring you to her page on Facebook.■

Pex Aves is bitching, so are the boxing fans

By DAVID CASUCO

LOS ANGELES – Gung-ho broadcast journalist and former boxing promoter Pex Aves was not impressed by what I wrote about the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley “non-fight.” The hard-hitting Pinas “dateliner” who moonlights as a religious minister, said there are some young boxers that can beat the “overrated singing congressman,” but the Pacquiao Camp won’t allow that to happen.

“Tell me, what happens if the Pacman loses?” asks Pex, his words dripping with sarcasm.
Aves knows from whereof he speaks, having promoted boxing fights in the Visayas for the great part of his life. And Pex was not the only one bitching either. The fans at the MGM Garden Arena – 16,412 of them – took issue on how the fight went on after the third round. They booed, they snickered, they made catcalls.
Mosley, dodged the bullet saying he did not hear the jeers as he was busy doing his thing inside the ring. Pacquiao, who fights “to make the fans happy,” did hear the hecklings all right, and blamed Mosley for not engaging toe-to-toe with him.

As for Pex, he is busy snooping the community for anybody – scheming boxing and sports promoters, swindlers, scammers, bad lawyers, fake ministers of the faith, dubious fundraising events, dime-a-dozen community awards, the greatest disaster in the world that is the FACLA, the consulate staff, counterfeit and “vinegar” journalists, and any and all irregular movements showing on his radar from his very exalted view on Normandie and Wilshire.

“So, what’s the update on the Pacquiao-Mayweather?” asks another snoop upon learning I write sports.
Dang!
Now, you heard me.
***
After the Mavs embarrassed the Lakers, I have moved all the way back East rooting for my No. 2 favorite NBA team, which is the Miami Heat. The reason for my change of heart is obvious. I am supporting Erik Spoelstra, the Filipino face in the NBA. I am hoping Lebron James and Dwane Wade will sustain the fire on the stubborn Bulls. I like what I saw in Game two… Lebron taking the stellar role, closing out the game on the road. If King James can do that in Chicago in front of a hostile crowd, he can very well deliver the victory on his playground in Miami.
***
There is a caveat to the scheduled Freedom Day Golf tournament at the Westridge Golf Course that stakes a brand new Mercedes Benz car for the first player to score a hole-in-one. If you are planning to play in the tournament, and you do not hit the ball like Vijay Singh or K.J. Choi, be ready with an ample supply of golf balls because the course, notwithstanding the wide fairways and the virtual absence of tree hazards, is an irreverent and unforgiving monster. If your teeshot misses the green, never thought of doing a Tiger scrambling because you will never see your ball again. Why is that? The grass are thick and tall – make it very thick and very tall. I am entered in the Callaway group of upstarts (read: full handicappers). I have not played golf for the past six months, and I am thinking mulligans.
***
The highly controversial and highly divisive Reproductive Health bill continues to reproduce and churn in an endless plots and sub-plots among the experts, academics, religious institutions, and major political figures.

Even Mommy Dionisia.

Instead of doing the politically correct “I am upset…” Mommy D was herself spitting raw anger directed at equally ferocious Sen. Miriam Santiago, who she said was belittling the Sarangani congressman. Yes, Mommy D’s meltdown was played over and over on national TV.
Sen. Santiago, earlier, scored Pacquiao for quoting the bible and interpreting their meaning literally. The champ was quoted as saying: “God said, ‘Go forth and multiply.’ He did not say ‘Go and have just one or two children’,” he said.
Pacquiao had lunch with officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Tuesday to express his full support for the Church in opposing the RH measure. Pacquiao said he is against artificial contraception because, he claimed, it is against the will of God.

For those who want to know what bible verse Pacquiao misquoted, here it is, Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 27-28: So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Matchless power

By DAVID CASUCO
LAS VEGAS – Everybody has great expectations whenever Manny Pacquiao enters the ring. So that when his fight turns into a pedestrian boxing, the fans that pay princely sum to get into the arena get listless, disappointed, and angry.

On Saturday night, during the Pacquiao-Shane Mosley WBO welterweight title duel at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here, the fans – 16,412 of them – took issue on how the fight went on after the third round.

They booed, they snickered, they made catcalls.
Mosley, dodged the bullet saying he did not hear the jeers as he was busy doing his thing inside the ring. Pacquiao, who fights “to make the fans happy,” did hear the hecklings all right, and blamed Mosley for not engaging toe-to-toe with him.

At the post-fight briefing, Top Rank’s Bob Arum explained that Pacquiao is partly to blame for his opponents fighting inside a shell. It started with Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, and then this, with Mosley.

“What we have here (in Manny) is a boxing phenom. His power takes the opponents out of their game plan,” said Arum. “The thing is once Manny’s opponents get a taste of his power; they resort to ‘survival boxing’.”

Hall of Fame-bound Mosley, who dropped onto the canvas in only the third time in his 18-year illustrious boxing career, took a very cautious stance after the third round, and was never the same again after that. He was backpedalling most of the time and his punches came very few and far between.

The Showtime punch stats distributed to the sportswriters inside the media center showed that Mosley threw only 260 punches, and landing 82. On the contrary, Pacquiao threw 552 punches and 182 of those finding the target, including the left-right combo that sent Mosley sitting on the canvas.

Pacquiao, who also found himself reeling and finding the canvas in Round 8, no thanks to the power shove by Mosley, which referee Kenny Bayless counted as knockdown, was obviously annoyed by the call and started chasing Mosley for the kill. That was when the sporadic boos even got louder as Mosley became more concerned in covering himself than throwing his punches. The onrushing Pacman was able to get into Mosley his vaunted combination a couple times, but were not enough to dismantle the backtracking Mosley.

“I was hurt, pretty stunned…the impact was very strong” said Mosley on the left-right combo that floored him in third. “Manny’s punching power is exceptional. He is fast and he can hit you with a lot of punches.”

Asked which fighter is the better one – Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr., -- having had unsuccessful challenges to both of them, Mosley was ambivalent, saying both fighters have their own merits and it would be very interesting if the two of them meet inside the ring. Pressed on the issue, he said that the Pacman definitely had the edge in punching power, and Money May should the more skilled and defensive fighter.

So, what is next for the 39-year old Mosley?

“Take a vacation. Relax. I have promised my son we are going to Disneyland,” said the former three-division champion from Pomona, California.

As for Congressman Pacquiao, who showed up for the post-fight press conference at the media center dapper and dandy in black suit, with wife Jinky and new celebrity friend Paris Hilton, it will be back to work in Congress, and serving his constituents in Sarangani province.

“I will be back to my work in Congress. There are a lot of things to do,” said Pacquiao, who wore a yellow glove to highlight his poverty reduction advocacy in the Philippines.

And if Pacquiao is not thinking about his next opponent, his manager, Arum definitely is. Arum said he sent an invitation to Juan Manuel Marquez if he wanted to fight Pacquiao in November, but the Mexican fighter, who is with the Golden Boy promotions, ignored the invitation. A second, revised deal is forthcoming and Arum is confident Marquez will likely agree to it. Marquez fought with Pacquiao twice, the first one ended in a controversial draw and the second, a close split decision.

Fight notes: #1 The fans displeasure notwithstanding, the event was not at all devoid of interesting stuff. For one thing the undercards proved very entertaining, so was the Hollywood factor – Jamie Fox waxing patriotic with his rendition of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”; Rocker Jimi Jamison performing “Eye of the Tiger,” during Pacquiao’s pre-fight walk; Pop star Charice’s doing the “official and correct beat” of Philippine National Anthem”; LL Cool J singing “Mama Said Knock You Out” for Mosley’s entrance to the arena; and the ringside appearance of Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton.

#2 Pacquiao gets a $20 million share of the fight purse, and Mosley gets $5 million, according to boxing news from Dan Rafael.
Note #3: Somebody at the MGM fight credentialing staff should probably take a second look when giving out media credentials to Fil-Am journalists. It seems to me that they do not have a clue who are the people who are trained to write sports stories. This writer got a surprise of his life when, for the first time, he got a “limited access” accreditation. If I had known beforehand what I got, I should not have asked my media organization to waste their money on my coverage. It’s not just acceptable for a jaded sportswriter like me to be treated this way. I was supposed to file a quick update on our balita.com website, but the fiasco, intentional or not, did not inspire me to do so. And rubbing salt to the injury, I saw a young boy, probably 10 or 12, wearing a press ID (color green) that is supposed to be for legitimate sportswriters. I was flabbergasted. I thought these things happen only in third world countries.

#4 Twitting the fight. Paris Hilton:“Wow, Such an honor to be brought onstage by Manny & his wife Jinkee after the fight. Can’t wait to visit them when I go to the Philippines. Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho, author of “The Alchemist” and a gung-ho boxing fan: “Congratulations Filipinos! Pacquiao rules.” Singer-comedian Ogie Alcasid: “Si mosley ay mosly ilag at mosly takbo ang ginawa sa laban kontra kay Pacman!!” Funny blogger iamtimyap: “Pag bitin ang laban, you say Shane on you!”

‘L.A.-Eleven’ human trafficking case yields more questions than answers

By DAVID CASUCO

LOS ANGELES – There is more than meets the eye to the ‘L.A.-Eleven’ human trafficking case that has threatened to blow up a Pandora’s Box in the high places inside the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA) and beyond.

The case, which stemmed from the plight of 11 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were recruited in Manila by Adman Human Resources Placement Promotions, Inc. to work for a hotel in Virginia, USA, is turning out to be a be a knotty trans-national problem with an intriguing storyline. It has all the elements of a gripping made-for-Hollywood movie script with the eleven unsuspecting Filipino workers tangled in a web of corruption, greed, deceit, mistrust and conspiracy.

The 11 Filipino hotel workers escaped from their employer in Biloxi, Mississippi. They thought they were recruited by Aramark, a Fortune 500 company, but ended up working for another firm and were paid under the federal minimum wage. Photo: Benny Uy/Balita Media.

Rep. Walden Bello, Chair of the Committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs (COWA), in his Congressional probe, has confirmed that the “L.A.-Eleven” is a clear-cut case of trafficking by a Philippine-based labor recruitment agency, Adman, with the “possible connivance” of a large Philadelphia-based corporation specializing in labor placement called Aramark.

It appeared that Aramark sponsored the working visas of the eleven OFWs. However, the official story from Aramark is that it was not involved in the scam, and that “somebody is using Aramark” in a fraudulent way.

The story of the fraud surfaced in late August and early September, when eleven OFWs arrived in Los Angeles and sought assistance from the Consulate General. The OFWs were Rufino DeGuzman, Ronilo Cruz, Imelda Nosa, Eutropia Velasco, Arlene Dorotan, Ricardo Jabagat, Manuel Jusayan, Khalid Velasco, Vuenas Dela Puerta, Mario Abaday, and Norman Yaranon.

These eleven OFWs, who each paid to Adman over $7,000 in processing fees, arrived earlier in Virginia but were told that the original jobs intended for them were no longer available, and were instead asked to proceed to Biloxi, Mississippi to work at a hotel called Royal Hospitality. And there the abuse took form. They were told to do onerous jobs and were paid a measly $4.75 for every room they are able clean.

That is when they realized that they were victims by some unscrupulous illegal recruiters. And although they were warned by hotel management that any attempt to escape would subject them to a lawsuit and deportation, OFW DeGuzman took his chance and found himself in the care of LA-based OWWA Officer Donn Duero. The other ten soon followed DeGuzman’s lead to Los Angeles.

Duero, in his effort to help the victims, pushed the buttons of the high and mighty in Manila and Washington, but his appeal for support did not create any traction at all. Instead of being credited to exposing a cause célèbre in what he calls a “possible trafficking and corruption at the POEA,” Duero found himself holding the short end of the stick, creating enemies all over and receiving seven death threats in the process.

Bello said that Duero’s handling of the case was “admirable,” but he was troubled by the rift that developed between him and his superiors in Washington, DC. Part of Duero’s alienation stemmed from the differences he had with Washington-based Labor Attaché Luzviminda Padilla, who Duero felt had turned her attention away from a very pressing labor problem. Earlier, Duero’s request for a $30,000 funding was rejected by Padilla, who thought “that perhaps OWWA need not spend that much if the victims were in Mississippi or if they were repatriated back to the Philippines.”

Meanwhile, in Manila, on August 31, 2010, the license of Adman was cancelled, prohibiting its officers and directors from engaging in the business and recruitment of overseas workers. In addition, the agency was ordered to return to the workers the amounts it collected illegally. Until now, the agency is yet to return any amount to victims.

Duero was not satisfied with the “weak” POEA action and called for the filing of graft charges versus five high executives of the POEA in early January. He pointed out the fact that Adman’s operations were merely transferred to an agency called 168 Ye Lu Fa International Man-Power Promotions Services, Inc., with Rebecca Majilum who owns Adman, sitting as one of its board of directors, which is a clear violation of the Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act.

Bello’s findings follow:

The “LA-Eleven” case has brought to light the possible abetting of trafficking and corruption at the POEA, which is involved in all phases of the deployment of OFWs. This should be the subject of thorough investigation and prosecution, not only to root out corruption but also to prevent the Philippines from falling into the “Tier 3” in the U.S. State Department’s classification of countries from which people are trafficked – a status that would deny the country some foreign assistance programs.
The involvement in transnational trafficking of Aramark and other US corporations and of personnel within the consular division of the US Embassy is a very real possibility and should be the subject of thorough investigation by the US government.
The “LA-Eleven” case shows that trafficking is a big business. Given the continuing attraction of the U.S. as an employment site, despite the current recession, trafficking to the U.S. has become especially attractive to unscrupulous elements. The enormous amounts charged by Adman from the 11 OFWs show the great profits that can be reaped by illegal traffickers working the U.S. market. The death threats received by Welfare Officer Duero underline the extent to which traffickers would go to preserve a lucrative business dealing in human labor.

Bello’s report concluded with a set of recommended measures directed at both the Philippines and U.S. governments which, in his view, would bring justice to the “LA-Eleven” as well as address the broader problems of trans-Pacific trafficking.

Impressive at Hollywood workout

By DAVID CASUCO
HOLLYWOOD – Eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who is slated to face American Shane Mosley in a Las Vegas megabuck title fight on May 7, was 10 minutes late for the 2 p.m. workout for the media Wednesday, but still remarkably early in the laid-back Philippine time standards. The Filipino lawmaker, with his entourage in tow, came in wearing the now familiar grin that endeared him to the sports scribes worldwide.
The stuffy air inside the standing room only Wild Card Gym did not bother the media people who were there essentially for two reasons – watch the champ display a sampling of his vaunted speed and power and listen to what he has to say.
Some ten minutes later, Pacquiao emerged from the dressing room and faced the phalanx of sportswriters and photojournalists around the ring to answer a myriad of questions ranging from training to training distractions, from lawmaking to statecraft, from Mosley to Mayweather. All these questions, the Pacman obliged to answer in his usual bashful and self-effacing manner.
Most of the questions were concerning Pacquiao’s training in Baguio, probably because the last time he trained during his fight with Antonio Margarito there were serious distractions that made his camp a little nervous. This time, Pacquiao told the media, it is quite different, implying that he got used to juggling boxing and government duties.
“I do not distract myself. I am focused on my training. I am ready for the fight (vs. Mosley). I am adjusting well to my work as a politician,” he said. “This training camp is better because we started early, and also (there were) no distractions for this fight. Also, we did a lot (working) on strategies. Compared to my training with Margarito, we did some adjustments in regards to style.”
Then the five-minute showcase of his speed and power –pretty much in there. The chorus of ohhhs and ahhs from the mesmerized mediamen validated the reality that the Pacman is in razor sharp form.
But why is he visibly excited? Pacquiao, who has a band and sings fairly well, revealed to sportswriters that he is excited because his new CD single/DVD “Sometimes When We Touch” is set for release on April 28, and it will be available on iTunes. The song by Dan Hill, which topped the chart in 1977, was recorded by Pacquiao with the collaboration of Dan Hill himself. Hill saw Pacquiao sang his song in Jimmy Kimmel show last year, and the idea of re-recording it with the voice of the one of the most famous celebrity was hatched.
Earlier, Roach, responding to a question from this writer whether it is safe to say that his prized ward is “ready and confident,” said that Manny’s camp this year is way better than last year.
“For this fight Manny has been able to stay totally focused compared to his last fight when he had to worry about a lot of things – campaigning, music, and making movies.”
Said Winchell Campos, Pacquiao’s personal biographer: “He has never underestimated his opponents. So, he will come in 100 per cent. No excuses.”
And for that quintessential “fighting with Floyd Mayweather” question, Pacquiao said “There is a chance. It is up to him if he wants to fight. He is (probably) trying to wait for me till I get older.”
The Pacquiao vs. Mosley megabuck world welterweight title fight is the main event of a Top-Rank four-fight boxing card at the MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas on Saturday, May 7, which will be telecast live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. ■