Pacquiao is set to face unbeaten Australian challenger Jeff Horn on July 2 at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.
Before the declaration of martial law in Mindanao last Tuesday by Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte in response to the lawless attack by ISIS-backed terrorist group Maute in Marawi City, Roach was set to move Pacquiao’s training camp to General Santos City in Mindanao where he maintains his own gym.
President Duterte’s martial law declaration covered the entire Mindanao including General Santos City and will last for 60 days from date of declaration.
While General Santos city is peaceful and free from the chaos brought about by the Marawi City siege, there is no guarantee the ongoing firefight and eventual clearing operation by the military and police won’t spillover to neighboring areas including General Santos City which is about 350 kilometers away from the troubled Marawi City.
Pacquiao has been training at the Elorde Gym in the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City in the last three weeks. The place is convenient for the fighting senator because his camp is just a stone’s throw away from the senate building.
In view of the circumstances prevailing in Mindanao, it would be prudent for Roach to stay and continue to conduct training at the Elorde Gym for the next two weeks and move over to Brisbane for the final phase of training.
Moving the camp to Brisbane two weeks (or even more) will allow Pacquiao to concentrate on his fight plan because he would be free from interference or distraction steaming from his work in the senate.
Moving early to Brisbane will not compromise Pacquiao’s legislative duties because by then the senate sessions will have already been adjourned.
“Depends on whether we move or not, when we move, if we move,” said Roach about Pacquiao’s sparring schedule. “I don’t want to fly those guys in and then have to fly them all the way into General Santos [City] if we go there, or we go to Australia. Wherever we go,” Roach told Ring Magazine writer Ryan Songalia at the Elorde Gym on Friday afternoon.
Roach is waiting for Pacquiao’s signal with regards to his legislative agenda in the light of the emergency situation prevailing in Mindanao.
“He hasn’t made his mind up. There’s martial law now so that could change things. Changes in the Senate also. His schedule could change,” Roach said. Read more:
Hopefully, Pacquaio and Roach would carefully consider the prevailing peace and order situation in Mindanao as it could become a distraction for Pacquiao as well as the entire camp.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao is set to do more sparring sessions with the arrival of a new sparring partner who was scheduled to fly in with Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz yesterday.
