Feb. 22--A political opponent of Manny Pacquiao has petitioned the Philippine elections commission to stop the boxer's planned April 9 bout with Timothy Bradley.
Former Philippines congressman Walden Bello is, like Pacquiao, one of approximately four dozen people running for 12 Senate seats in the May 9 elections. According to a petition he presented to the commission Monday, Bello thinks the high-profile boxing match gives his rival unfair publicity prior to polling.
Specifically, the petition said, the fight would violate a law that gives candidates equal access to media publicity and bans TV and radio programs from favoring a candidate.
"He has all the rights to exercise his boxing profession after the elections," the petition said, "but to schedule his boxing bout during the campaign period and close to the elections is obviously taking advantage of his personality and his profession, extending undue benefit to his candidacy."
Commission Chairman Andres Bautista told reporters the case would be discussed Tuesday.
In public opinion polls, Pacquiao ranks eighth among the candidates; Bello is said to be far behind in those same polls.
