Photo Courtesy: angperegrino.com

‘When you’re right, no one remembers. When you’re wrong, no one forgets.’

I used to hear this line from my teacher back in high school. It’s an ageless saying that somehow related to the ugly news spreading these days involving Manny Pangilinan’s controversial commencement address in Ateneo de Manila recently. That some parts of the speech he delivered were simply copied from those imparted by famous persons including U.S. President Barrack Obama. In short, plagiarism.

Yes, it’s true. And he admitted it.

People close to the PLDT’s top honcho pointed out Pangilinan conveyed the one prepared by his supposedly new speechwriters and was unaware that it contained copied lines from famous talks.

It’s a mistake. An honest mistake for that matter by the big boss.

This bungle, however, spread like wildfires over the internet the last few days. Something like a sex video scandal. This makes me furious over those who have grossly criticized Manny, who, in some ways has been at the forefront in improving the Filipinos’ lives.

I first came across with the name Manny V. Pangilinan sometime in 1998. I was a college senior then in Ateneo de Davao University following a teleserye-like corporate tug-of-war  between the Gokongwei group and Indonesia’s Salim group to wrest control of PLDT. Pangilinan successfully led the Salim empire through First Pacific in seizing dominance of PLDT’s board seats. Since then, our country’s telecom industry was never the same again.

MVP, as he is fondly called, brought his exceptional skills in changing the landscape in Philippine sports as well. Both a Bedan and an Atenean, he supported the basketball programs of these institutions that eventually led to their dominance in their respective leagues in the last decade. More importantly, Pangilinan has been aggressively backing the Philippines’ quest for an Olympic berth in basketball in 2012 London Olympics. The goal of regaining Asia’s basketball supremacy has been framed through the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), particularly the Smart Gilas developmental team.

Lately, Manny has also been a patron to our country’s amateur boxing program. The framework provides the backbone enroute to our country’s quest for an elusive Olympic gold in boxing.

Manny V. Pangilinan has been changing the name of the game in each field he has been into, may it be in business, sports, in the academe and even in corporate social awareness. That’s why, it’s so annoying to hear those nasty things about him. Truly, when you’re right, no one remembers. When you’re wrong, no one forgets.

PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios has announced the stiff penalty imposed on Talk N’ Text ballclub for walking out in Game 4 of their quarterfinal series against Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. Accordingly, Talk N’Text was fined a total of P1 Million for their walk out in the first quarter of the game. PLDT Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan for his part said that he had no regrets for their protest because he believed it was a right decision under those kinds of circumstances.

Veteran Gerry Peñalosa faces Eric Morel of Puerto Rico this Saturday February 13 in the undercard of the Pinoy Power 3 in Las Vegas. Now 37 years old and entering the 21^st year of his pro career, Peñalosa is going for the interim title of the WBO bantam weight. Peñalosa joins 4 other Filipinos in this card to be headlined by 115-division champ Nonito Donaire, Jr.