A 55-year-old Bacoleño suffered a mild stroke yesterday during the third round of the “Firepower” match where Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao knocked out Puerto Rican boxer Miguel Cotto and sent him to the canvas.

Reports from Aksyon Radyo said Eduardo Sanico of Villa Angela Subdivision in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City , who is now confined at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital , noticed that his feet became numb and he could not stand.

When he reached the hospital, his mouth twisted and his speech became affected. Half of his body also became paralyzed, reports said.

Sanico was watching the boxing bout of Pacquiao and Cotto in his house with several other people when he suffered a mild stroke, it added.

Meanwhile, acting Bacolod Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said truly Pacquiao is not only the darling of the Filipino people but he is also the darling of the world after having won seven straight welterweight titles.

He was featured in the Time magazine and with this win, he will become the sportsman of the year in other magazines as well, he said.

Sayson said “We are very proud with what he has accomplished. He is making the world aware of the capacity of Filipinos after he lifted the WBO welterweight belt from Cotto, he said.

Hopefully, he will continue to give honor to the country, he added.

“I believe that the people were happy with the match although they have wanted him to knockout Cotto,” Sayson said. But they seem contented with the fight that reached has the 12th round where Cotto was outclassed by Pacquiao, he said.

Councilor Homer Bais said Pacquiao has proven that he is the greatest boxer ever after winning seven fights in different weight divisions.

A jubilant Santiago Tagpuno, 29, of Brgy. Taculing said he was so happy that Pacquiao won over Cotto. He said he has watched all the fights of Paquiao at the Bays Center , which was fully packed yesterday with an estimated 7,000 people.

Inday Fabruada of Brgy. 14, said she is happy that Pacquiao won since he is an icon of the Filipino people. She is also glad to see Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia on TV with the pound for pound best.

Cigaret vendor Sonny Verana of Brgy. Bata said this was a perfect fight. Manny made a nice move, as he showed his photo with the Filipino boxing superstar taken during the MassKara Festival last year.*CGS

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