The Most Reverend Leonardo Medrozo, D.D.,bishop of the diocese of Tagbilaran and chair of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Canon Law, warned congressmen witnessing today’s Pacquiao-Marquez fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, of the evils of placing bet money in this much anticipated ring combat. This means that even church leaders are in the know concerning the betting scheme for the third  Pacquiao -Marguez thriller in Las Vegas today. The prelate’s warning came as the {hilip[pine Daily Inquirwr reported Friday that another wave of public officials flying to “Sin City” for the fight consisted of at least 26 congressmen would be in the United States around that time. Bishop Medrozo was one of two Catholic prelates on Thursday who appealed particularly to lawmakers watching the fight between  worldboxing  champion Manny Pacquiao and Mexican challenger Juan Manuel  Marquez  not to gamble away money—even if it comes from their own pockets. The local bishop joined Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles in reiterating the Church’s stand against all forms of gambling and called on the jetsetting officials to just use their money to help the poor.

Open secret

Arguelles said it is an “open secret” that some politicians who watch Pacquiao’s bouts in the country or abroad are there not only for the ring spectacle but for the betting frenzy. “Of  course  they place bets,” Arguelles said. And this time, he heard that the betting was “not on whether Pacquiao will win or how, but in what round he will knock out his opponent.” “We’re not judging them, but they are elected by the people so they should be good examples. But what they are showing is that they are the ones who are leading in gambling. They should be conscience-stricken,” the prelate said over Church-run Radyo Veritas. “If they would use the money they intend to gamble in helping their poor constituents, we can say that they really deserve to be our leaders,” Arguelles said. Medroso added: “The Church has always been against all forms of gambling. Let us just watch the bout and pray for the boxers so that nothing bad will happen to them, and may they bring honor to their countries.”

A total of 26 congressmen have been granted authority to travel to the US this month. Most of them would be there when their colleague,  Sarangani  Rep. Manny Pacquiao, defends his  welterweight  title against Marquez at the  MGM   Grand   arena. The office of House Secretary General Marilyn Babarua-Yap released the list of the congressmen on Thursday. It could not be immediately known who among them would actually go to Las Vegas for the fight. But a few confirmed they will see The Pacman in action. ‘I‘m here’ “Yes, I’m here already,” Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing said in a text  message  to the Inquirer. Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) Rep. Sherwin Tugna said he left for California on Wednesday to visit his US-based wife and daughter, and that he would also like to watch the fight. “About Pacquiao, I’m trying to make arrangements to have a ticket. In case I can get one, I might go to Vegas on Saturday to watch,” Tugna said in a text message. You Against Corruption and Poverty (Yacap) Rep. Carol Jayne Lopez also confirmed to the Inquirer in a text message that she would watch the fight to personally cheer for her colleague. “Everyone expects me to be there since I’m a friend of Pacquiao, but I do have congressional business in the US,” Lopez said in Filipino.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, who has been in the US since Nov. 6, said he was still not sure whether he could make it to Las Vegas. Other congressmen who are now in the US or about to go there are Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino (Oct. 27 to Nov. 19), Batangas Rep. Tomas Apacible (Nov. 13-15), Pangasinan Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas (Nov. 6-13), Manila Rep. Benjamin Asilo (Nov. 2-21), Association of Laborers and Employees (ALE) Rep. Catalina Bagasina  (Oct. 29-Nov.13); Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez (Nov. 8-15), Davao del Sur Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas (Nov. 8-16), Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Aurora Ceriles (Nov. 3-25), Quezon City Rep. Vincent Crisologo (Oct. 25-Nov. 13), Cavite Rep. Antonio Ferrer (Nov. 11-18), Surigao del Sur Rep. Florencio Garay (Nov. 3-13), Ang Kasangga Rep. Teodorico Haresco (Nov. 5-15); Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Nov. 3-19), Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos (Nov. 8-15), Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan (Nov. 10-19), Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles (Nov. 10-14), Misamis Occidental Rep. Loreto Leo Ocampo (Oct. 25-Nov. 17); Lanao del Surt Rep. Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman (Nov. 9-19), North Cotabato Rep. Jesus Sacdalan (Nov. 2-13), Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez (Nov. 7-21), Taguig City Rep. Sigfrido Tiñga (Nov. 5-16), Nueva Ecija Rep. Czarina Umali (Nov. 9-18), and Misamis Oriental Rep. Peter Unabia (Nov. 10-21). Based on the list, two congressmen would no longer be in the US on the day of the fight, namely Bohol Rep. Rene Relampagos (Nov. 6-10) and Lanao del Sur Rep. Pangalian Balindong (Nov. 3-9) Efforts to contact Cong. Relampagos if he was already in town yesterday yielded negative results as there was no answer in the Post call to his cell phone.