Manny | The Adobo Chronicles

President Aquino, left, and President Pacquiao?

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Filipinos have long expected President NoyNoy Aquino to endorse his close ally, Local Governments and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas for the 2016 presidential elections. But today’s announcement shocked the entire nation: Aquino has endorsed world boxing champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao!

Aquino revealed his endorsement after Pacquiao made a rare appearance in the Lower House yesterday and unexpectedly made a pitch for President Aquino who is currently parrying calls for his resignation from office due to the Mamasapano encounter with rebels where 44 police officers with the Special Action Force lost their lives.

Pacquiao said Aquino should not resign as he shot back at the President’s critics for judging the Chief Executive too harshly.

This is an unusual show of support for the President from Pacquiao who has been allied with the opposition group, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), which is expected to draft the world champion boxer in its senatorial lineup in 2016.

In announcing his endorsement for the boxer, Aquino said that Pacquiao is well qualified to succeed him because he embodies the fighting character, integrity, and love for country that are needed to make the Philippines great once again. “Pacquiao also has the respect of world leaders because of the name recognition he has built for himself as a world boxing champion.”

Aquino added that Pacquiao even has a new movie, “Manny” which has just been released internationally. “Filipinos love to elect movie actors so I am confident they will have no problem electing Pacquiao,” he said.

Asked by reporters if Pacquiao’s record as a top lawmaker absentee in Congress will hurt his chances for election, Aquino categorically said, “Not at all! The position of president is a 24-hour, 7 days-a-week job, so his absenteeism is not going to matter much. In fact, because he will reside in Malacanang (presidential palace), he will be present every day.”

Roxas could not be reached for comment, but we expect a fuming mad, foul-mouthed reaction to today’s presidential endorsement.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (The Adobo Chronicles) – Floyd Mayweather wants a portion of the revenues from Manny Pacquiao’s documentary, “Manny” which recently opened in theaters nationwide, and is available for download from the Internet.

The new documentary film, narrated by Academy Award winner Liam Neeson, follows the life of Pacquiao who rose from being a young boy growing up in a poor family in General Santos City in the Philippines to becoming an eight time world boxing champion, a congressman, a singer, actor, basketball playing coach and a born-again Christian.

In the documentary, Mayweather appears in a cameo role, being interviewed by sports news anchors about his continued refusal to fight the Filipino boxer.

Today, Mayweather told reporters that he was suing the film’s producers for an undisclosed amount to compensate for what he claimed as “unauthorized” use of his taped interviews.

“It’s not about the money,” Mayweather said, “it is about fairness and decency. They used my image, my voice, my interview — they should pay me for it!”

When asked by reporters whether the rumors about an impending deal for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in Las Vegas in May will actually happen, the American boxer said, “If the price is right.”