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Source: Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin

-- Major American media outlets are sending representatives to Mindanao to cover Manny Pacquiao’s grandiose run for public office in May.

“I have 60 Minutes, the Associated Press and other media entities wanting to be here,” said Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser Mike Koncz last Wednesday from the boxing star’s campaign headquarters in General Santos City.

Even the Los Angeles Times is seriously considering sending one of its men in the sports section to fly over to the country to get a first-hand account of Pacquiao’s bold bid to reach another plateau.

Koncz said having these blue-chip media groups around is not a problem as long as “they do not request for one-on-one interviews” because it would be very hard to do that especially during the final stretch of the campaign period.

Pacquiao is running for the lone congressional seat in the province of Sarangani, where he will be up against a formidable foe in businessman Roy Chiongbian, whose family is the undisputed political kingpin of the province.

Koncz said Pacquiao has racked up three campaign sorties since arriving there late last week “and the crowd has been very enthusiastic.”

“Compared to three years ago (when Pacquiao first run in the first dictrict of South Cotabato in 2007), the crowd and the response now is much better,” said Koncz.

Pacquiao is riding the crest of his latest ring triumph, a masterful 12-round decision over Joshua Clottey of Ghana before 51,000 screaming fans last March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.