KEY HOUSE lawmakers are seeking to confer the Congressional Medal of Distinction to Filipino boxers Nesthy A. Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Felix D. Marcial after winning silver and bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Winning a medal at the Olympics was no easy feat as our boxers had to compete against the best athletes in the world,” said House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco on Tuesday.
House Bill 2093 filed by Mr. Velasco, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, and Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen S. Paduano seeks to confer the Congressional Medal of Distinction to Ms. Petecio for her “significant” triumph in the Tokyo Games as she brought the Philippines’ first Olympic medal in women’s boxing.
The Congressional Medal of Distinction is awarded by the House of Representatives for Filipino achievers in the field of sports, medicine, science, business, and other related fields.
“Petecio’s win is also noteworthy because a Filipina has brought home the long-sought honor for a sport considered by majority of Filipinos to be the domain of men,” House leaders said in a statement.
Similar honors will also be filed by House leaders for Mr. Paalam and Mr. Marcial. — Russell Louis C. Ku