Pacquiao vows to help victims of typhoon

LAS VEGAS (AFP) ― Boxer Manny Pacquiao has pledged support for the victims of a devastating typhoon in his native Philippines that has left a quarter million homeless and killed over 470 people.

“I am aware of what is going on, and my prayers are with the people of the Philippines,” Pacquiao said. “I have people who are monitoring the situation, and they will handle anything I asked them to do.”

Pacquiao, who is a congressman representing the Sarangari province, talked about the tragedy on Wednesday in Las Vegas, where he is preparing to fight Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time.

“I’ll go out and raise money for the people who were affected,” Pacquiao said. “I have helped my countrymen before, and I will do whatever they ask me to do to help.”

Pacquiao is running unopposed for re-election in May. He said his district was not severely affected by the typhoon but he is willing to assist in any way he can.

Typhoon Bopha tore through Mindanao island in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, flattening whole towns as hurricane-force winds combined with torrential rain to trigger floods and landslides, officials said.

President Benigno Aquino has sent food and other supplies to 150,000 people on Mindanao’s east coast where towns remain cut off by landslides and downed bridges.

Rescuers said they were looking for hundreds of missing people and that 250,000 were seeking shelter in schools, gyms and other buildings after losing their homes.