Pacquiao visits soldiers in Marawi City

July 29, 2017

Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao visited the government troops in Marawi City on Saturday morning. Captain Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, said Pacquiao was wearing an Army Special Forces, tiger suit battle dress uniform when he arrived in Camp Ranao in Marawi City past 9 am. Pacquiao is a member of the Philippine Army reserve force with the rank of lieutenant colonel. She said upon his arrival Pacquiao was given situational briefing by the Joint Task Force Marawi Commander, Brig. Gen. Rolando Bautista. "When he arrived he was given briefing then he talk to the soldiers after the talk to soldiers he signed at the support our troops wall," she said. Petinglay said during his talk to soldiers, Pacquiao expressed his support to government troops who are sacrificing their lives to liberate the city of Marawi. "He said, he support the troops all the way. He also said if he can fight with the soldiers in the battlefield, he will do so. If he will just be allowed and jokingly he said "but if anything happens to him there will be no boxer that will be seen on TV", she said. When asked if Pacquiao can possibly join the battle in Marawi City as he said, Petinglay said "of course not, because we have different roles. We soldiers. Our job is to go to war while he (Pacquiao) had a different war which is in the Senate." Petinglay said the visit of the senator and boxing icon is a big boost to the morale of their soldiers in Marawi City. "There are soldiers who were saying that they are very happy on the visit because it boost their morale, because they know that Senator Pacquiao is busy but he still give time for the troops to see him and hear him, so they (soldiers) are very happy specially those who are here because they said they only see him on T.V and they saw him here," she said. Robina Asido/DMS