TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum cited a precedent in arguing against the attempt of senatorial candidate Walden Bello, who petitioned the Commission on Elections that allowing Manny Pacquiao to compete during the campaign period would violate a law giving contenders for the seat equal access to media publicity and a ban on television and radio programs favoring a candidate.
Sky Sports in Britain reported that Bello said the fight should be postponed until after the elections.
Pacquiao has remained in the Top 8 in various surveys conducted by the Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia in the race for a seat in the Senate.
Bello made it clear he was not seeking Pacquiao’s disqualification as a senatorial candidate, but was asking the elections’ commission to take action on the complaint.
“I imagine if they rule in our favor, which I believe they will, then they will have to tell Manny that he would have to comply with it,” said Bello, adding that if Pacquiao refuses to comply, disqualification from the election could be a logical outcome.
However, Arum, who insisted last week in an interview with ABS-CBN Sports consultant Peter Musngi on his program “Teka Muna” over dzMM Teleradyo that he will not postpone the fight, cited a precedent to demolish Bello’s position in a conversation with Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Arum noted that in April 2007, when Pacquiao was running for a seat in the House of Representatives from Sarangani province and fought Jorge Solis, the issue came up and the then Comelec did not prevent the fight from taking place.
“The rule is plain – you can’t publicize that you are running for office. We are not going to publicize that you’re (Pacquiao) running for office . We are not going to be holding any political rallies for Manny while he’s here in the United States preparing for the fight with Bradley,” said Arum.
But the promoter conceded that Pacquiao “has to be very careful about what he says, pointing out that the simple solution is to have a moratorium when Pacquiao does a media session regarding the April9 fight but it won’t be easy given Pacquiao’s “penchant for saying what’s in his heart.”