Pacman blames ABS-CBN

As seen on Philstar.com

Manny Pacquiao yesterday claimed that the news video aired by ABS-CBN, which showed him rescinding his contract with Solar Sports, was not supposed to have been shown at all.
Pacquiao said he did not want to go on air and announce that he has switched back to ABS-CBN until it was established that his contract with Solar, good from 2007 until 2011, had indeed been violated.

“Ginawa namin yung video statement basta ang usapan itatago lang at hindi muna ilalabas (We did it based on the agreement that it was for embargo),” said Pacquiao in a phone patch from LA.
“Ayoko muna gumawa sana ng video. Sabi ko titingnan ko pa ang Solar contract kung may violation nga (I didn’t want to make a video because I wanted to see first if my contract was violated).

GMA Network chairman and chief executive officer Felipe Gozon (third from left) welcomes the decision of Manny Pacquiao to honor his contract with Solar Sports and GMA-7 during yesterday’s press conference at the GMA building. Others in photo are (from left) Solar Sports COO Peter Chanliong, Solar Sports chair William Tieng, and GMA Networl EVP and COO Gilberto Duavit, Jr.

“Walang violation so hindi dapat nilabas. Abugado nila ang gumawa ng statement (There was no violation so it shouldn’t have been shown. Their (ABS-CBN) lawyer prepared that statement,” said Pacquiao.

What’s quite ironic, if Pacquiao’s latest statement is true, was that he once again appeared over ABS-CBN last Friday, saying, “My decision is still the same. Watch my fight with Ricky Hatton on ABS-CBN.”

ABS-CBN later announced it wouldn’t make a statement, according to network executive Kane Choa. The other day, the station said it was letting go of Pacquiao.

“Is there anything new? I thought we’ve let go (of Pacquiao) as per yesterday’s statement. But from what I know it was Pacquiao who dictated the timing (of the news video),” said an ABS-CBN insider.

“Manny Pacquiao approached ABS-CBN to be his media partner in airing his next fights. We thank him for trusting us. He signed a contract with us, but we will not stand in the way if he decides to change his mind. We respect it (Pacquiao’s decision to honor the Solar contract), wish him good luck and we wait to hear from him,” said ABS-CBN in a statement the other day.

The video, shot in the balcony of Pacquiao’s LA apartment, was aired Wednesday evening over ABS-CBN, and triggered a very heated argument between ABS-CBN and Solar/GMA-7.
In that video, Pacquiao said Solar erred in delivering part of his payment for his May 2 fight with Ricky Hatton, so he decided to rescind the contract and switch back to ABS-CBN.

“After a thorough thinking, I have decided to approach ABS-CBN and I have decided to renew my partnership with them. This is my own decision,” said Pacquiao in the news video.

“Sabi ko sa kanila huwag muna kami gumawa ng video pero sabi nila ‘gumawa na tayo pero itatago muna namin ( I told them let’s not make a video but they said we go ahead and keep it for the meantime),’” said Pacquiao without saying whom he was talking to on behalf of ABS-CBN.
Faced with a legal battle with Solar Sports and GMA-7, which may take years and cost him millions, Pacquiao recanted his statement last Saturday after he established that his contract was not violated.

“Everybody makes mistakes. Again, I apologize. What I learned from this is that I’m wiser now than yesterday,” said Pacquiao, drawing laughter from those listening to the phone-patch interview.

“Next time I will really think it over and not get carried away by emotions,” he said during a press conference at the Skyline Restaurant on the 17th floor of the GMA-7 Bldg. along Edsa.
He assured everyone that the incident won’t happen again.
In attendance were GMA-7 chairman and chief executive officer Atty. Felipe Gozon, chief operating officer Gilberto Duavit, Solar COO Peter Chanliong, and chairman William Tieng.

“It’s time to move forward. It’s all in our hopes that Manny Pacquiao triumphs in his coming fight,” Duavit said.GMA Network also said it welcomed the decision of Pacquiao to retract his earlier announcement and honor his contract with Solar Sports.