MARK ANTHONY BARRIGA LOSES FIGHT VS.Birzhan Zhakypov

The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines has protested light-flyweight Mark Anthony Barriga’s loss against Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov.

The Philippines’ lone boxing hope in London lost the match, 17-16, after getting penalized for ducking and headbutting in the third round of the fight. That gave the Kazakh two extra points, making up the difference in the result.

“We felt the referee was a little too quick on the draw on the warning, because the Kazakh was already wrestling Mark to the ground,” said ABAP executive director Ed Picson.

Barriga was leading the fight, 10-8, heading into the third round, when Zhakypov became visibly more aggressive. He wrestled the Filipino fighter to the ground twice early before Barriga without any reaction from Labbe.

“And when the referee finally gave a deduction [for wrestling], it went both ways,” said Picson.

“But that’s the referee’s prerogative. It was a judgment call, I don’t necessarily agree with it.”

According to AKTV’s Lia Cruz, the ABAP will protest the fact that Barriga was warned just once before being penalized, when the Filipino fighter should have been warned three times.

A similar case occurred earlier on Friday, when the United States protested a decision that gave India’s Krishan Vikas a 13-11 victory over American welterweight Errol Spence. In that case, the US said that the Indian should have received two warnings, resulting in an overturn of the result.

Under AIBA Technical & Competition Rules, a protest can be filed by “the Team Leader or by the person having the highest position in the Team Delegation no later than 30 minutes after the completion of the bout.”

Video of the protested fight will be used to render a decision by AIBA.

CYNTHIA VILLAR IN PREMATURE CAMPAIGN FOR SENATOR?

Everyone’s talking about the TV ad of Villar Foundation, Inc. The premature campaigning
advertisement features former Congresswoman Cynthia Aguilar-Villar, wife of Sen. Manny Villar. The title of the ad is “Walang kadala-dala.”

Rumors say former congresswoman Cynthia Villar will run for senator next year. Just so you know, Mrs. Villar is a member of the rich Aguilar clan of Las Piñas. In fact, the jingle for her next TV ad goes something like, “Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng pera?” THE PHILIPPINE HECKLER

KNOWING CYNTHIA VILLAR

Representative, Las Piñas City, 2001 to 2010

Managing Director, Villar Foundation, 1992 to present

Cynthia Aguilar Villar earned her degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines, which recently recognized her as one of its Distinguished Alumni.  She completed her Masters in Business Administration at the New York University.

She practiced as a financial analyst and college professor until she married Former House Speaker and Senate President Manny Villar in 1975.  She then helped her husband in various entrepreneurial ventures, eventually making Vista Land the biggest homebuilder in the Philippines. She managed a private development bank from 1989 to 1998.

In 2001, Cynthia Villar won in a landslide victory as Representative of Las Piñas to the Philippine’s House of Representatives, where she completed three terms or nine years of service until 2010.

Congresswoman Villar also served as chairperson of the Congressional Spouses Foundation from 1998 to 2000. During her term, she built 11 regional centers for women who are victims of abuse.

Likewise, she also served as president of the Senate Spouses Foundation, Inc., from August 2006 to December 2008, during which the Foundation raised P25 million for the rehabilitation of charity wards at the Philippine General Hospital.

Cynthia Villar’s social and civic concerns are wide and varied.  Thus, in 1992, she founded and chaired the Villar Foundation, where she is now actively involved as Managing Director.

Amidst all her achievements and awards, she still considers her family her most cherished treasures and her three well-raised children as her glory. Paolo and Mark are graduates of the Wharton School of Finance—University of Pennsylvania. Her only daughter, Camille, is a Business Management graduate at the Ateneo de Manila University. Paolo now is the Chief Executive Officer of their publicly–listed housing company Vista Land. Camille is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Vista Land’s upscale housing subsidiary Brittany Corporation. She is also a co-host in television variety program Wil Time Bigtime on TV 5. Mark is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives of the Lone District of Las Piñas City. They are all role models of hard work and perseverance—life values that their parents inculcated in them.

CYNTHIA VILLAR FOR SENATOR