LOS ANGELES — Freddie Roach is flying to the Philippines on March 6 to jumpstart the preparation for Manny Pacquiao’s eight-week training camp even as trouble is brewing in Pacland.

Roach told a pair of Manila-based scribes on Friday afternoon at the Wild Card that he will tag along sparring partners Shawn Porter and Rey Beltran to help hone Pacquiao for his May 7 showdown with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.

Conditioning coach Alex Ariza is actually leaving ahead of Roach as he is expected to be in Manila on March 1.

Asked about the whereabouts of Ariza, Roach sounded as though the training camp of Pacquiao can proceed even without the Colombian-born fitness expert.

“I don’t know. I haven’t talk to him. He was saying bad things about me on the Internet this morning, saying that I have fired him at the Wild Card. But that’s his own personal problem,” said Roach.

Roach said Pacquiao can train and get in shape without the expertise of a conditioning coach like Ariza.

“Manny runs his own show. He knows what he is doing. I know how to get him in shape for a fight,” said Roach, who has been calling the shots in Pacquiao’s corner since 2001.

Ariza entered the picture in mid-2008 when Pacquiao fought and devastated David Diaz and later marquee names like Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto were added to the Filipino’s list of VIP victims.

But in a span of three years, Ariza has also earned a number of critics, some of them members of Pacquiao’s inner circle, including the boxer’s adviser Mike Koncz and cutman Miguel Diaz.

“His head has gotten so big,” said Roach, who apparently began to lose his fondness over Ariza when Pacquiao was revving up for the Antonio Margarito fight last year.

Ariza denied having said anything bad about Roach on the Internet.

“I haven’t said anything to him,” said Ariza when told about Roach's latest statements.

Last week, just before Pacquiao embarked on a four-city press tour, he paid homage to Pacquiao in the fighter's mansion here and was thrilled about the outcome of his short talk with the pound-for-pound king.

Pacquiao reportedly asked Ariza about his supplements as he gets ready for the start of training camp in the Philippines next month.

Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin