In Cotati, visiting Philippine congressman laments ‘warrior’ Manny Pacquiao’s loss to Floyd Mayweather.

A Philippine congressman, friend and regular ringside companion of boxer Manny Pacquiao was in Cotati Wednesday, where he shared some thoughts on the now-controversial bout with Floyd Mayweather.|

Who do you suppose enjoyed a lively lunch at Cotati’s Redwood Cafe on Wednesday with a clutch of Filipino-Americans?

Evelio “Bing” Leonardia. He’s a Philippine congressman of acute interest just now because he’s a friend, fellow member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and regular ringside companion of boxer Manny Pacquiao.

“He calls me his lucky charm,” Leonardia said. He came to Sonoma County to visit friends following his pal Pacquiao’s loss Saturday in Las Vegas in the now-controversial bout with Floyd Mayweather.

Leonardia said he carries his country’s flag into the ring before Pacquiao’s fights because the boxer wants him there, for good fortune. Clearly, the charm didn’t work so well this time.

Leonardia said he, like virtually everyone else, had no idea until after the hugely ballyhooed, historically rich match that Pacquiao went into the ring with a rotator cuff injury to his right shoulder.

“He asked for medication,” Leonardia said. “It was not approved, so he had to fight without it.”

Leonardia was sad that his friend, the beleaguered eight-division world champ, will suffer the setback of surgery to be performed this week by acclaimed orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache. “Of course, that will stop any momentum that he had.”

Despite the loss, the visitor to Cotati is proud of Pacquiao.

“He did not back out,” Leonardia said. “He’s a warrior.”

____

SHOPPING FOR OLIVIA: To shop or eat or create Saturday at any of several local businesses, mostly of the Sebastopol persuasion, could be not only therapeutic but life-saving.

This will be Shop for Olivia Day. It began with John and Marilyn Goehring, founders of Sonoma County’s landmark Toyworks stores, offering to donate a portion of the day’s sales receipts to Olivia Weber.

She’s the 2008 Analy High grad who is severely ill with blood clots, paralysis of the stomach and other ailments that have eluded a diagnosis or effective treatment strategy.

Her mom. longtime Sonoma County resident Helen Weber, works to raise the money necessary to take Olivia to the Mayo Clinic and perhaps to other medical institutions known for advanced diagnosis and treatment of critical diseases.

Several other local retailers have joined the Goehrings, who will donate to the Webers 10 percent of Saturday’s sales at the Toyworks stores in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.

The others, all in Sebastopol, are Screamin’ Mimi’s Ice Cream, Rosemary’s Garden, Jasper O’Farrell’s Pub, Milk & Honey, Main Street Mercantile, Glassfusion and Pottery Too, and Dressers.

Dressers will have a selection of bracelets on display. Owners Mary and Tessa Grul will donate 100 percent of proceeds from those sales to Olivia’s quest for a cure.

Her and her mother’s GoFundMe appeal is at http://www.gofundme.com/p3d2n8

Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @CJSPD.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.