Gigantic promotion
With Manny Pacquiao—the only pugilist in boxing history who has won world championship belts in eight weight divisions; the sport’s reigning pound-for-pound king; the country’s or, perhaps, the world’s only legislator who is at the same time an active professional boxer; holder of an honorary doctorate degree; an Army reservist; and, unquestionably, today’s most popular Filipino hereabouts and elsewhere—already having been feted with every award available, this is one honor that did not do him, well, much honor, if at all. It is one honor—in fact the first one in his colorful and celebrated life—that has plunged him into a controversy.
Pacquiao, the Philippine Army announced on October 14, has been promoted from the rank of senior master sergeant to lieutenant colonel—a jump of five ranks—effective September 21, 2011. This was his fourth promotion in five years: He was enlisted as a sergeant on April 27, 2006. On December 1 that same year, he became technical sergeant, and on October 7 the following year, master sergeant, before he was given the special rank of senior master sergeant on May 4, 2009.
Shortly after he won against Shane Mosley last May 7, Senior Master Sergeant Pacquiao was feted with a testimonial parade which, by protocol, is reserved only for top government and military officials as well as foreign dignitaries. Even so, not every general is given such honor. According to reports, it was in that occasion that Army commanding general Lieutenant General Arturo Ortiz disclosed that they were contemplating promoting Pacquiao to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Immediately after its announcement, Pacquiao’s promotion was deluged with criticism. Dr. Clarita Carlos, former president of the National Defense College, said a college degree was required for Pacquiao’s new rank. His achievements and stature as boxing champion were not enough for him to be commissioned as an officer of the Philippine Army, she said.
Defense department and military officials were as quick to defend his latest promotion. Defense spokesperson Zosimo Paredes said that “The promotion of Congressman Pacquiao went through all the necessary process, pursuant to Section 40 of the National Defense Act, and in conjunction with Section 44 of Republic Act No. 7077” (also known as “Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act”).
Although Pacquiao doesn’t have as yet a regular college degree, the honorary degree in human kinetics that was conferred on him in 2009 by the Southwestern University in Cebu City fulfills the requirement for his new rank, acting Army spokesperson Major Harold Cabunoc said.
Pacquiao himself is not to blame for this misstep. To him, it must have been another honor like the countless others he had received, every one of which he is probably sincerely proud of.
The question is, was his promotion to lieutenant colonel necessary? Was it even proper? It couldn’t have added any more accolade to what Pacquiao had already received. According to Dr. Carlos, Lt. Col. Pacquiao can now “theoretically lead a battalion of 400-500 soldiers,” but Paredes brushed this off saying, Pacquiao will only receive “minimum privileges.” He can be “saluted by officers lower than their rank… anything that goes with the rank, (he) will get it, but more than that, nothing really.”
The military establishment may not like it, but the common impression is: if Army reservist Pacquiao were not the world-acclaimed boxing champion that he is, as a congressman or a holder of a doctorate degree, he would not have been given even a first look for a one-rank military promotion. Although, for being the boxing champ that he is, consistently bringing honor to the country and making his countrymen enormously proud of his achievements, the military may be right to grant one of its own a step-by-step promotion. But five ranks higher up the military hierarchy is simply too gigantic a leap of a military promotion given, even for an extraordinary boxing feat or record.
