Gone to the Dogs
In the news today besides the Erap Verdict (which was years overdue) was a small news snippet about a mami (noodle) vendor on the run for killing a garbage truck driver. It would have been your usual TV news night time tabloid material, but this took an interesting turn because the suspect who was known by neighbors as "Dodong Mami" turns out to be former boxer Rustico Torrecampo, known to few as one of the few men who knocked out Manny Pacqiao senseless during the latter’s early career.
News reports said, the garbage truck driver sideswept Torrecampo’s sidecar which made his wares and noodles spill on the street. Torrecampo tried to talk with the truck driver but the truck driver ignored him and went on. Enraged, Torrecampo waited for the truck on the next corner, boarded the truck and stabbed the driver to death.
I personally do not agree to anyone killing another person but I pity Torrecampo. Whenever Pacquiao docu-bio is shown on TV, footages of Torrecampo as a mami vendor is usually shown with the subtitle "one of the only guys to KO Paqciao." As if the boxing gods have smited Torrecampo for knocking out a future prodigy of world boxing. Now, Torrecampo is again shown on TV but this time portrayed as a murderer on the lose.
I know, the end does not justify the means and murder is still murder. Even if Torrecampo tried to talk to the driver and the driver just ignored him and drove off, it’s not an excuse to kill.
I don’t know Torrecampo personally, the only time I hear of him is whenever there are Pacqiao docu-bios. For all I know, Torrecampo might be an asshole and a pain in the neck. But what I know, basing it from the news reports is that when the truck sideswept his sidecar, his wares and noodles that he will sell the whole day to feed his family, was thrown in the street. For a person who is an "isang kahig, isang tuka" (hand to mouth existence), this means bad news. When he tried to talk it down with the driver, he was ignored and got sped off. Maybe it’s his being human that got into him and decided to spill blood with his own hands.
I pity the guy because he’s a victim of circumstance. From a ring pug to a noodle vendor, he didn’t fare much in his life. The guy that he did knocked down, however, has millions stashed and went into a frenzy by running for public office. Okay, Pacqiao did worked hard to be where he is now, but the sad thing about reality is, Torrecampo did to.
Torrecampo’s story is not the only one as we hear many sad stories about ex-boxers. Well, we’ll have something new to be sad about because tomorrow, there’ll be another new story somewhere.
