No doubt Manny Pacquiao is a great boxer but may just be a great pretender elsewhere, in Congress, etc., who may not realize that as important as knowing when to arrive is when to leave. It should be when the audience is still applauding. Two successive losses in 2012.

Chavit is one all-weather friend I saw assuring the Pacquiaos “you’ll never walk and weep alone,” in a fair-weather, all-weather Mayweather and weder-weder culture. (The only time I met Ninoy in 1982 he spoke of Chavit as a friend in need, a friend indeed; this he found out in late 1972 when his calvary started.)

I have been a critic of Manny, the MultiTasker Manque, for years while he made tons of moolah in the Manly Art of Modified Murder. “Pablo” victims got from Manny a fight dedicated to them instead of a concrete gesture, like an actual donation of P100M from his new income of more than a billion. His KO was another national calamity. [Editor’s note: The latest news says he has given P10 million to Pablo’s victims.]

Mommy Dionesia groused that she could not go to Rome for San Pedro Calungsod, cuz Manny told him walang datong. Income tax dipping, Kim Henares became curious and was berated by Manny’s camp; full disclosure: she’s a niece-in-law I hardly meet. She may look to the coco industry for more revenue. In the Dec. 17, 2012 Time issue (pp. 3, 43-44), is a feature on “The Coconut Craze.” It said: “Crazy for Coconuts—They’re the new favorite edible. Can farmers keep up?” At 3. “100% Increase in sales of coconut water in the U.S. and Europe.

The Philippines and Indonesia are the world’s top exporters of coconut oil.” At 44. It was asked: “Crazy for Coconuts - They’re the new favorite edible. Can farmers keep up?” At 3.

Last Monday, I stood as sponsor in the wedding of a student of mine. A katuwang of mine from Davao, which supplies coconuts, wasn’t happy. He fears many coco workers won’t benefit from the boom and even lose jobs as exporters will just ship out buko and have no need for them. A blow, not to the jaw, but the solar plexus.

Manny can very well speak for the coco workers in Mindanao.

My past references to Multitasking Manny make me sound like a nattering nabob of negativism.

And I lecture all over on the negatives of the Manly Art of Modified Murder. Last weekend, Manny led with his face or jaw, and the ref saw no point in even counting. Jinkee was hysterical. Cool promoter Arum was thinking of the next bout.

If Manny must donate to his constituents, he may do it unadvertised, the way FPJ used to.

And he should listen to his mother. Manny should realize the wisdom in Willie Pep’s first your legs go, then the reflexes go, then your friends go (paraphrased). But even the weder-weder type may not find it easy to leave Manny who just earned more than a billion. But leave the stage when some of the audience still clap. Mothers know best.

If we had listened to Tita Aurora, she might have saved Ninoy. She did not want him coming home on August 21, 1983. Kutob that something incredible was going to happen, supported by a Rand Corporation expert. But the rest of us dismissively said “Naaaah, Macoy is not that stupid,” in that August 7, 1983 meeting of about a hundred in the home of Esto and Maur Lichauco.

Proved wrong, but the country benefited. Of Manny I wrote in the past: last November 16, I said that “[t]he brave Pacquiaos are not deterred for instance [from running]. Indeed, only the finding that the Constitution requires 40 years of age deterred Manny from vying with Jojobama Binay for Prez. “ Last November 2: “I do not like Manny’s brother running for Congress to match his all-time almost nothing record. And Jinkee should not run for Vice Guv. Manny can finance a bio on Pancho Villa,who died because of blows in the ring. . . .”

Last July 27: “A concern truly; multi-tasking Manny boxing, hosting a TV show, concertizing, womanizing, now preaching, and yes, occasionally attending to his sideline or hobby, being a Cong. Now competing with GMA as top house absentee]. Last June 15, “Manny should focus on the rematch and give up his congressional seat. Focus was what he did years ago as a hungry fighter but now that he has money to burn, he has to understand why the Forbes crowd are not anxious to mix with his crowd in their snooty plutocratic enclave, so far from flooded Glan in Sarangani.”

On November 18, 2011: “Many are blinded by Manny’s billions so we tolerate a Non-Performing Liability in the House, an institution being disgraced by a multitasker who trivializes chamber work as but a sideline or a hobby, loses millions of dollars in casinos, womanizes, hosts a TV show, threatens to sue because of cancelled singing concerts, and humors his mother in an ostentatious birthday extravaganza at a time of great want. [H]e lacked focus in preparing against a helluva fighter. He should resign as absentee lawmaker to do better as a Modified Murderer.”

On Sept. 16, 2011, ”Anyway Manny’s camp compounded the situation by saying that he was thinking of a Senate bill lowering the eligibility age for Veep to 35, “should the proposed legislation . . . passed in Congress and signed into law by the President.” Huh? A statute amending the Constitution?) If I were a reporter in Mexico, I might have asked whether Manny wanted to be Veep in `pobre mejico, so near the U.S. and so far from God.’

On April 29, 2011, “We all may have a streak akin to that of the Romans watching gladiators. Or of Knights in tournaments maiming, unhorsing, or killing a foe. The bloodthirsty call of the wild.”

On March 12, 2010, “Not so sweet and young is Muhammad Ali, a serial lady-killer in his prime, when boxing was a fave of mine. Not anymore, given what I read about him, all the way to our Z Gorres. No one wants to see anyone get maimed. McGeehan also called boxing the Cauliflower Industry.”

The above illustrate, not exhaust, why I am not Monday-morning-quarterbacking. Now, to the catfight in the Supreme Court (SC). The message of Christmas is to use one’s ability to hurt most sparingly. The SC should disclose accurate SALNs. House, no better, laying down implementing rules 23 years after approving R.A. No. 6713. At Ka Martin Villarama, 2012 bar exam head, saan na po ang sagot nila to my letters on Question No. 52 of the last bar exams in Poli-Law. “52. A bill of attainder is:”a) an executive act which inflicts punishment without tender;”b) a judicial act which inflicts punishment without tender; . . .”d) a legislative act which pardons punishment after tender.” “Without” and “after tender?” I hope the SC can fill in a gap in my education so I can educate my studes accordingly. I asked your former colleague, Eddie Nachura, and what he does not know about poli-law isn’t worth knowing. Nada, even after quaffing the oil of conversation.

The other night, the friendly cab driver said he would take me in if I paid P150 for a short ride costing under a hundred. I did as my heart was warm and gentle but I sort of felt violated in a society of scofflaws.