Misplaced idolatry for Manny Pacquiao

Judging by the extraordinary—nay, unprecedented—speed by which Manny Pacquiao leaped from sergeant to “doctor” to lieutenant colonel (Inquirer, 10/15/11), on the one hand, and the still too many boxing world titles he has yet to (surely) win, on the other hand, it is not far-fetched that in due course he is going to be this country’s first ever and only five-star general in inactive military service.

Not being a military man (I did not even take ROTC in college), I am not privy to the promotion system and procedure in the military organization. So I am not in a position to pass judgment on the propriety or impropriety of Manny’s leapfrogging from one rank to another in so short a time. At best, all I can say is maybe—just maybe—it is not true, contrary to what the news report says, that the rank of senior master sergeant is the highest post possible for a military reservist who does not have a college degree. Or perhaps—but, alas, perhaps!—the military has totally ignored this otherwise important consideration just for Manny’s sake.

Indeed, if, in his time, Erap’s “mag-presidente muna kayo!” had always been taken with a grain of salt, who can now question Manny’s die-hard fans in the military from saying “Mag-Manny Pacquiao muna kayo!”—especially given that Manny is unquestionably several thousand times more popular than Erap? And, at the end of the day, who could ever question a promotion that, like all others in the military, had surely had the imprimatur of the Commander in Chief?

All I can say is, I am also a die-hard fan of the greatest boxer the Philippines, nay, the whole world, has ever had, or will perhaps ever have. I am happy for Manny’s success and I idolize him as highly as every other Filipino does. It’s just that—call me a kill-joy if you wish—my idolatry for  Manny is not as unduly misplaced.

—RUDY L. CORONEL, [email protected]