Official Statement from Paglaom Alliance re: Pacquiao Event

ANNOUNCEMENT

With regrets, we would like to announce that the “Bangon Bicolandia Benefit Dinner with Manny Pacquiao” has been cancelled because Manny Pacquiao has backed out at the last minute and could not come to the scheduled event. Mr. Pacquiao cited the following reasons:

1. Security risks and death threats to his life and those of his family.
2. He is afraid that something may really happen to him due to a superstition that he believes in which says that it’s ominous or dangerous to travel within five days after transferring to a new house.
3. Impending weather disturbance here in Bicol this coming week.

In this light, Paglaom Alliance had offered to return the money to its donors but most of them did not accept it and donated the same amount instead to support the cause of the group.

According to ABS-CBN, our partner on this event, Manny Pacquiao has issued a public apology on video which we plan to air once we get hold of the said material. Subsequently, he is also deeply sorry because he would not be able to come over naming the aforementioned reasons. And to compensate for his absence, Manny Pacquiao pledged to donate 1.5 million pesos instead for the victims of Supertyphoon Reming through Paglaom Alliance.

So as of this writing, we are happy to reveal that Paglaom Alliance has already raised 2.5 million in pledges and actual donations. This is a good 500,000 pesos more than the targeted amount. All of these shall go to programs intended to help the victims of the recent calamity as earlier announced.

All of these having been said, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who willingly shared their blessings even after knowing that Manny could not come anymore. Likewise, we would also like to sincerely thank Manny Pacquiao for his generous donation and we pray for his safety and the end of these threats to his life and those of his loved ones.

Thank you also to those who, in one way or another, supported the event and the alliance since the start. We hope to see more of you in the coming days as we move on to the next phase of our engagement. This is just the beginning.

Lastly, we would like to announce that instead of the benefit dinner with Manny Pacquiao, we are going to have a benefit concert featuring Jericho Rosales (with his band, Jeans) and Heart Evangelista with some of our top local performers. This shall be held at the Plaza Quezon on the same date and time, December 19, 8:00 PM. Admission is free.

Thank you.


PAGLAOM ALLIANCE