Cotabato power firm postpones brownout

MANILA, Philippines - Cotabato City’s Muslim and Christian residents stayed glued to their television sets as World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao pummeled challenger Joshua Clottey without any power interruption.

“We ought to thank the power utility serving all of Cotabato City’s 37 barangays,” said Mayor Muslimin Sema, an avid fan of the Filipino boxing icon.

The Cotabato Light and Power Co., which serves the city and surrounding barangays in Maguindanao’s nearby Datu Odin and Sultan Kudarat towns, rescheduled its hour-long sectional blackouts to enable local folks to view the much-awaited fight uninterrupted.

Local peace advocates involved in various peace-building communities expressed elation over Pacquiao’s win against his equally tough opponent from Ghana.

“Pacquiao is a native Mindanao (son) and his being an international boxing icon will help project to the whole world that we have talents here that will help our homeland rise from its image as a conflict area into a homeland of talented, globally competitive people,” said Reverend Troy Cordero, a Christian preacher involved in projects promoting Muslim-Christian solidarity.

Senior Superintendent Willie Dangane, director of the Cotabato City police, said all four precincts under his jurisdiction did not record a single crime incident for the duration of the Pacquiao-Clottey match.

“This has been the scenario during all previous matches of Pacquiao with foreign boxers,” Dangane said.