honorable Poohcquaio

Enter Manny Poohcquiao.

Who do you want to fight with next: Soto, Larios, Marquez?

Ah, medyo nahihirapan nga ako dahil sobrang dami nila na gustong makipaglaban sa akin. Parang gusto ko na lang si Solis. Lolit Solis. Hindi na kailangan ng boxing gloves doon. Tsinelas lang puwede na. Kung ayaw niya sa akin, wala naman akong magagawa. Sino bang nawalan? E di ako! (That's difficult. I'd rather fight Lolit Solis, if she wants. We can use slippers, not gloves.)

Why are you running for Congress?
Sana irespeto nila kung ano ang trip ko dahil kung ano naman ang trip nila hindi ko naman pinakikialaman. (I hope the will respect my trip, in the same manner that I respect theirs.)

What's your platform? Your plans?

Marami akong plataporma. Unang-una ang peace and order. Sa amin sa Gen. Santos, maayos naman 'yung order ng mga fish. Marami ang umo-order ng tuna. (First is peace and order. In GenSan, there are many orders for fish, especially tuna.)

Pagkatapos ng congressman, senator naman. Tapos presidente na. Pag naging presidente ako marami akong babaguhin. Imbes na barong Tagalog ang gagawin kong national costume, boxers' shorts na! Ang national anthem, 'Extreme Magic Sing' na. (After congress, I'd aspire to be senator, then president. If I become president, I will order a change in the national costume, from barong tagalog to boxers' shorts. The national anthem will be Extreme Magic sing.)

What about your show biz career? You might not have time for show biz.
Tatlo na ang gagawin ko: boxing, politics and show biz. Wala nang tulugan ito! (I will be very busy, I will not sleep anymore.)

Do you have a new movie?
Ah meron, gagawa kami nila Julie Vega, Nida Blanca, Charito Solis, directed by Lino Brocka. Siguro ang magandang title, "Ikaw na Lang ang Hinihintay." (I have a new movie ... it will be titled 'Waiting for You.")

And your singing career, do you have new albums?

Ah, meron! Marami akong album ngayon. Lalo na marami akong kuha doon sa huling boxing namin. Kinuhanan ako ng misis ko. Bale nalagay na nga sa photo album. (Plenty, my wife is collecting my photo album.)

Ah, 'yung kanta ba? (Ah you mean songs?)

Wala pang bago kasi 'yung unang album, hindi ko alam kung nag-silver o nag-bronze ba 'yun? (Not yet. I'm not even sure if my first album made a bronze or silver, is that it?)

Who punches harder? Jinkee or Solis?

Mas malakas si Jinkee, mahal ko 'yan, nagpapasalamat nga ako sa kanya. Thank you, Jinkee, for always supporting me, every time I have a fight and you are there always. It's so very relaxing and absolutely that, you know ah, you know and thanks God. (Jinkee, I love you ...)

How has traveling abroad improved your English?
Ah ... um ... ahh ... Um ... ah ...Thank you!

What's the secret of your powerful punch?
Spinach! Popeye pala ito! Siyempre proper diet. Tapos exercise. Control lang sa lahat ng mga bisyo. (Spinach, proper diet, exercise. Moderation ...)

Wala akong bisyo...

What do you plan to do with your earnings?

Hinahati-hati ko sa orphanage, simbahan. Tapos meron din para sa mansion, sa convenience store, saka sa bar ko dito sa Roxas Boulevard. Tapos marami rin akong binibigyan ng balato. Tapos meron ding napupunta sa manok. Mahilig ako sa manok! (I gave to the orphanage, church. I also set aside for the mansion which I'm constructing, a convenience store, and a bar along Roxas Boulevard. I also gave money as gift. I also invest in chicken.)

McDonald's fried chicken?
Oo. 'Yun nga ang pinang-sabong ko minsan, natalo ako! (Yes. I've lost money in cockfights.)

How's your private life? Do you still have time for yourself? For your family?
Well... private nga 'yun, bakit mo pa tinatanong kung private? (It's private, don't pry.)

Pag nanalo akong presidente, kasama ko na ang pamilya ko sa Malacañang. Parang si Madame GMA. Ayun, kasama niya lahat ng pamilya niya di ba? Mga kamag-anak, mga kapitbahay, ang dami nila doon sa Malacañang. (If I become president, I will bring my entire family to Malacanang, like Madame GMA. Her relatives, neighborts, there are so many of them in Malacanang.)

What's your message to our countrymen?

Ah...ang mensahe ko lang sa mga kababayan ko na mahihirap: Mag-tiyaga lang. Ganyan din naman ako dati e. Galing din ako diyan. Basta mag-sipag lang at mag-tiyaga. Mag-boxing na rin kayong lahat. Pati babae. Para marating n'yo rin 'yung narating ko. (Work hard. Persevere always. Take up boxing, even women should take up boxing, then you can achieve what I have reached.)

How are you related to Winnie the Pooh and Fernando Pooh?
Si Winnie the Pooh, pinsang buo ko 'yun. Si Fernando Pooh, bale parang lolo ko yata 'yun. (Winnie is my cousin, Fernando Pooh is my grandfather, I think)

Do you know how to surf the Net? Do you know how to e-mail?
E-mail? Yan ba 'yung envelope mail? Marunong akong mag-Internet. Mag-webcam. 'Yung show me your face! Show me your pancreas! Your intestines! (Oh yes, I know)

We saw you on YouTube.
Dina-download nga 'yun sa Greenhills. P25! Sila lang ang kumikita, hindi ako! (It's available in Greenhills. They are making money.)

How do you plan to solve our country's economic problems?
Ang hirap naman! Ang utak ko hanggang eco lang .. nadugtungan pa! (That's a difficult question...)

How much did you earn in your last fight?
Ah... Sikrit. Hehehe. (Secret...)

What can you say about your title, Pambansang Kamao? Or do you have other body parts in mind?
Parang mas maganda, Pambansang Tattoo. (National Tattoo is better)

What can you say about the brain drain? About doctors working as nurses abroad?
Mahirap talaga dahil maliit ang suweldo dito sa atin. Kaya nga gusto ko sa ibang bansa lumaban. Mas malaki kaysa dito. Kasama din pala ako sa brain drain! (That's why I fight abroad, I make more money there.)

Among the products that you endorse, which is your favorite?
Ah ... Depende sa mood. Minsan nahihirapan ako e, kasi sobrang dami nila. Sabay-sabay dumarating sa bahay. Nalilito nga ako kung paano gamitin.

Minsan 'yung Motolite nagagawa kong mineral water. 'Yung San Miguel Beer nagagawa kong shampoo. 'Yung Datu Puti, nagagawa kong lotion. Minsan nga sinubukan ko na sabay-sabay inumin ang Alaxan, Circulan, Motolite, San Miguel Beer, Datu Puti, saka kinain ko 'yung Magnolia Ice Cream. Sumakit lang ang tiyan ko. Gusto ko lang magpapansin. Hindi kasi ako kinukuha ng Diatabs!

Yon na lang ang hindi ko nae-endorse. Yong barko, kay Sharon (Cuneta) na lang.

(Depends on my mood. But its confusing. Once, I mistook Motolite for mineral water; San Miguel beer for shampoo, Datu Puti vinegar for lotion. Once I took Alaxan, Circulan, Motolite, San Miguel beer, Datu Puti and Magnolia Ice Cream. I had a stomach ache. I want to call the attention of Diatabs! But I have not endorsed a shipping line, that belongs to Sharon Cuneta)

Are you really Visayan?
Ay oo, Bisaya talaga ako. Ubyus ba? (Yes, isn't it obvious?)

Critics say that you are being used by politicians. Care to comment?
Ah... hindi naman. Hindi naman nila ko magamit. Pa'no nila ako magamit, hindi naman ako na-attract sa kanila. (I don't think so, I don't even find them attractive.)