Manny's yellow gloves bring good or bad luck?

YELLOW SIGNAL: Boxing hero Manny Pacquiao punching with yellow gloves better win his fight today against Shane Mosley who is threatening to grab his WBO welterweight crown.

If Pacquiao loses this 12-rounder at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, we will never hear the end of wisecracks about the yellow mittens bringing him bad luck just as his boxing career segues into a life as a politician.

His donning yellow gloves is a clear political signal.

The gentleman from Sarangani, who supported Sen. Manny Villar (NP) for president in 2010, must be seeking a modus vivendi — if not outright affiliation — with President Noynoy Aquino (LP), whose signature color is yellow.

Pacquiao explained that yellow is the symbol of unity. His unity with the Aquino camp?

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FIGHTING POVERTY: Pacquiao’s fabulous dollar earnings in the ring have made him – with a declared net worth of more than P1 billion – the richest congressman ever.

The nattily dressed congressman walked and talked like a traditional politician in last Thursday’s pre-fight press conference in Las Vegas.

He raised not a few eyebrows when he intoned: “The biggest fight of my life is not in boxing . . . The biggest fight of my life is how to end poverty in my country.”

I almost wept had I not seen the politico reading that from a piece of paper.

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CASH DOLES: Pacquiao has done his share in ending poverty, especially among the 412,000 or so folk eking out a bare existence in the seven towns of his district-province of Sarangani.

Dipping into his fabulous earnings (and presumably into his pork barrel), he has been doling out cash aid to his constituents, providing charity hospital beds and free schooling to poor children, among other acts of generosity.

I have not found data indicating any improvement in the quality of life in Sarangani, but I assume that his big spending has helped stir some economic activity.

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BIG BITE: What puzzles me is his quixotic assertion that his biggest fight is in solving poverty in the country.

I’m sure it was not his trainer Freddie Roach who suggested to him that expansive political vision of finally finding the solution that has eluded presidents all the way to Mr. Aquino.

Even with his billion, how can he end poverty in the country? He cannot possibly achieve that as a mere boxer, or a congressman, or even as a senator.

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BEAT MOSLEY FIRST: The congressman will have a chance to win that “biggest fight of his life” only if he becomes the president and uses the structure and resources of government to bring prosperity all around.

Is Pacquiao hinting that he plans to run for president?

He has a right to aspire for the presidency – since he has all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications.

But first, he has to beat Mosley today — preferably with a knockout — with those pretty yellow gloves.

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NO OBL PHOTOS: Of course, reelectionist US President Barack Obama will not release those graphic pictures of slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Not yet.

To spread them around now will be bad timing, for at least two reasons:

• Globally — With the commando raid on Osama’s hideout in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad still fresh in the minds of al-Qaeda militants, the bloody images could inflame them into rash action.

• Domestically — Releasing the pictures now will take away their campaign value that could be put to good use in the US presidential elections next year.

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LIE LOW: After a decade-long manhunt, the US caught up with its quarry — blasting off bin Laden’s forehead and decapitating, for the moment, the terrorist movement.

That was big enough an achievement. No need to do something else foolish — like dragging around the cadaver for public viewing via pictures — and risk staining the victory of the moment.

Momentarily shocked, al-Qaeda is unable to retaliate instantly. It has to recover its senses first. There may be isolated and minor disturbances, but not some really big bang that will stun the US and its allies.

Releasing the gory pictures right away could electrify al-Qaeda’s militants and accelerate their reaction time.

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LEAK LATER: On the political front, it is best for Obama to keep the pictures in reserve for the opportune time to release them before the elections next year.

A few months before the November polls, selected shots can be released or leaked for calculated impact.

The choice of picture to release, and when, will depend on concurrent issues at the time and on the desired reaction from the American public.

The reelectionist president will have a free hand in choosing which card to open.

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THAT VAN: Simon P. Babalcon Jr., president of Samar State University, has confirmed that the Fortuner van spotted this week at SM City North-Edsa was the school’s vehicle, but said it was on an authorized trip.

He said in an email: “The Fortuner van... is being used by our authorized staff sent to Manila to canvass for SSU computers and books intended for the university. I called upon my staff to verify and found out that they were indeed in the area the time you saw the vehicle. The official travel can be verified in the approved trip ticket. I thank you for your vigilance but please rectify insinuations that a wife of an official may be using it for personal use.”

In a separate email, the SSU publication office said the van was used “to procure special laboratory equipment for the College of Engineering, College of Nursing, and SSU Internet Café… these have no available supplier in Catbalogan, Samar, and even in Tacloban City.”

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