THREE days after collapsing in the ring, Karlo Maquinto remains in deep coma at the FEU Hospital in Fairview, Quezon City.

But his parents, relatives, and fight promoter  Gerry Penalosa, are hopeful the super-flyweight prospect will be able to survive the biggest fight of his life.

“Comatose pa rin,” said Penalosa, the former two-time world champion, who always make it a point to visit Maquinto everyday at the hospital.

“Actually, mahirap naman mag-bigay ng statement sa kundisyon niya kasi hindi naman tayo medical expert, pero siyempre hangad pa rin natin na bumuti ang lagay niya.”

Penalosa said Maquinto’s parents and brother already arrived from Iloilo, and assured them not to worry about the increasing hospital bills as he’s ready to help them together with the boxer’s manager Anson Tiu-Co, co-owner and manager of the Shape Up boxing gym in Baguio that served as Manny Pacquiao’s training camp in the highlands.

“Mabait `yung manager niya, willing sagutin yung operation kung kinakailangan,” said Penalosa.

Unfortunately, doctors said it’s too risky to operate on the 21-year-old Maquinto given his condition after suffering a massive subdural hematoma, causing pressure from the blood clot to push the left side of his brain to the right.

At present, the fifth of six children of an Iloilo farmer is attached to a life-support apparatus.