“We strongly condemn this deplorable act,” thus declared Board Member Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez in his scathing privilege speech he delivered during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last Friday. Lopez was referring to Genaro Garcia, allegedly a fake Mexican foe of Boholano ring icon Boomboom Bautista during the ring fight dubbed “Pinoy Pride XII: Bakbakan sa Bohol. “It was actually a non-fight, not even worth watching even if it was for free,” the lawmaker from Loon town howled. He angrily said that “the Boholano community was evidently cheated and conned by the organizers and promoter” of the fight held March 3, 2012 at the Pes. CPG Sports Complex, which was “lent” for the said ring match.

As this developed, Lopez’s privilege speech generated a solid support as the provincial board unanimously passed a resolution, upon the initiative of BM Abeleon Damalerio, asking the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) of the national government to intervene and conduct probe on the fake fight of Bautista and Garcia. Vice-Gov. Concepcion Lim also banged the gavel for the approval of the separate but similar move of senior board member Dionisio D. Balite to constitute the entire SP as a committee of a whole for the same purpose. Board member Atty. Benjie Arcamo interposed question to Balite’s motion because he cast doubt if the body (SP) is authorized to conduct the proposed investigation. Almost everybody, including Lim, who moved for (about) two-minute recess and came down from her platform, defended Balite’s action (constituting SP to committee of a whole) and Arcamo was prevailed upon.

Lopez lamented “on the fateful evening of March 3, 2012 all were shocked and disgusted to see in the ring, fighting against Boomboom, a fake Genaro Garcia from Mexico who hardly looked like a legitimate boxer at all.” Quoting an estimate by a giant TV firm that the spectators numbering some, if not more than, 30,000 at CPG complex, ALA Promotions of Cebu, the fight promoter, “easily raked in millions of pesos in cash from the gate,” aside from proceeds derived from commercial sponsors who were also shocked, Lopez said. He asked the promoter to give an accounting of the funds and explanation because the Boholano deserve to know what was the real score of the Bautista-Garcia fight arrangement. It was not clear whether or not the province was paid for the use of sports complex for the fight. ALA Promotions through president Michael Aldeguer was reported in Cebu news to have said to bring back the real Genaro Garcia. It was quoted as saying that, like Boomboom, as promoter they were also shortchanged by the Mexican matchmaker or promoter. Gov. Edgar Chatto said during his weekly press conference came in rescue of Boomboom who was also a victim in that match. “We deserve an explanation,” he said, adding “it’s (also) unfair to blame the sponsors, who allegedly included the provincial government.