Don’t do it, Manny

When I first learned about Manny Pacquiao’s announcement that he had made a deal with new PBA expansion team KIA Motors to be its “playing” coach, I thought it was a spoof from April Fools’ Day. Except that I read it from the Washington Post on May 9, a day after he made such an announcement. Actually, he had already hinted about this move a few days after his victory over erstwhile-undefeated American boxer Timothy Bradley on April 12.

Manny Pacquiao is a great champion, but will that translate into success in basketball? (Getty Images)

I thought he made a huge mistake when he ran for Congress. It took a lot of his focus away from what made him a sports icon. But okay, I suppose he is doing a great job of helping the people of Sarangani Province, although it did affect his boxing career somehow.

But after pursuing careers as politician, TV host, recording artist and pastor among others, this new ambition of his is just absolutely ridiculous.

For him to play in the PBA is surely preposterous. For him to coach in the PBA is just as ludicrous. And for him to do both? Outrageous!

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Deniece Cornejo Surrenders

(Update No. 6—8:50 a.m., Tuesday, May 6) Deniece Cornejo ended her brief stint as a fugitive on Monday afternoon, May 5, as she surrendered to Philippine National Police Director-General Alan L. Purisima. The model reportedly showed up at Camp Crame at around 4 p.m. and proceeded to Purisima's office.

Cornejo was said to be accompanied by her granduncle, Rod, whose statement had been read on Buzz ng Bayan on Sunday, May 4. It was he who had appealed to her to surrender.

After the brief stopover at Purisima's office, Cornejo was then transported via a coaster to the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) building, where she was processed under the Women and Children Protection Desk.

Deniece Cornejo at Camp Crame following her surrender. (Photo by Doland Castro, ABS-CBN News)

At around 7 p.m., Cornejo was temporarily detained at CIDG's Anti-Transnational Crime Unit. She shared a detention cell with a number of female inmates.

On Tuesday, May 6, she was brought to the Taguig Regional Trial Court. 

The hunt for Deniece Cornejo

(Update No. 2—6:30 p.m., Sunday, May 4) With the arrest of business man Cedric Lee and Zimmer Raz last week, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is now going after the rest of those charged for the serious illegal detention of actor Vhong Navarro—model Deniece Cornejo, Jed Fernandez., and Ferdinand Guerrero.

Along with Bernice Lee and Jose Paolo "JP" Calma, they are the seven people whom Navarro said were present in the January 22 incident at a condo unit in Forbeswood Heights in Taguig.

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Ever since she went public, Cornejo has claimed that Navarro raped her. Navarro, on the other hand, says that Cornejo's so-called rescuers, Lee and the rest of the group, tried to extort money from him.

The Department of Justice has since junked the rape case Cornejo filed against Navarro. In a 42-page resolution dated April 4, 2014, the DOJ stated that "it was very difficult to comprehend how Navarro could have raped Cornejo, noting that there was not even a single scratch on the model."

Two other women—Roxanne Cabañero and Margarita "Mai" Fajardo—have also claimed that they were raped by Navarro. Navarro has denied the charges.