Moralde gets bonus, advice from Duterte
Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday gave boxer John Vincent Moralde cash incentive of P20,000 for winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) Asia featherweight crown last March 14 in Australia.
Duterte also has one piece of advice for the 20-year-old Moralde if he is to become a successful athlete: stay away from vices, specially smoking.
Moralde nodded to assure Duterte he will heed the advice while grinning from ear to ear following his very first encounter with the colorful mayor.
The boxer brought along with him his newly-acquired championship belt and posed with Duterte and several other local officials–including Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario–before a horde of photographers.
“I’m very proud that I finally was able to meet him in person,” Moralde told reporters in the vernacular after emerging from the brief meeting with Duterte at the conclusion of the joint City Peacer and Order Council-Regional Peace and Order Council (CPOC-RPOC) meeting late Monday afternoon at the Grand Men Seng Hotel.
Earlier in the day, Moralde was introduced during the regular flag-raising ceremony at the Quezon Park fronting City Hall and briefly chatted with City Administrator Atty. Jesus Melchor V. Quitain.
Quitain and several department heads congratulated Moralde and couldn’t help but discuss the boxer’s latest conquest atop the ring that ended tragically for his fallen rival.
Moralde’s opponent, Brayd Smith of Australia, had collapsed inside his dressing room after losing a 10-round unanimous decision to the Filipino and died at the Brisbane Hospital two days later.
After the flag-raising, Moralde, who hails from NHA, Buhangin, appeared in the Kapehan sa Dabaw forum at SM City Annex and had a field day answering questions from the media. (SDD-CMO)
