royal welcome fit for a king awaits newly crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao when he arrives today from the US.
As has been his practice, the boxer who has been dubbed ?The National Fist? will call on President Gloria Arroyo at Malaca?ang today, said Manny Pacquiao Promotions spokesman Reli de Leon.
Pacquiao is scheduled to arrive with his team at 5 a.m. aboard a Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles.
They are to be met by dignitaries, including Vice-President Noli de Castro and long-time supporter Lito Atienza, formerly Manila mayor and now secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The 29-year-old native of General Santos City will proceed to the New World Hotel in Makati City for a brief rest, before attending a 9 a.m. Mass at the Quiapo Church, and afterwards, a victory party organized by the television network GMA 7 at its headquarters in Quezon City. That network aired the rematch in the Philippines.
No motorcade is scheduled for today, de Leon said.
One was supposed to be arranged by the city government of Manila, but Manila Sports Council Chairman Ni?o de la Cruz said Pac-quiao?s camp declined.
?The Office of the Mayor, had actually informed the Pacquiao camp of the planned motorcade as a tribute to him for being an adopted son of Manila, but I was told that it was declined by Pacquiao himself,? said de la Cruz, a grandson of Mayor Alfredo Lim.
This was the second time that Pacquiao has snubbed Lim, a political opponent of Atienza, whose son lost in the last mayoral election. The elder Atienza was barred from seeking reelection as mayor after serving three consecutive terms.
Instead, a big parade that will traverse five metropolitan cities is scheduled Tuesday, said Eric Pineda of Team Pacquiao.
After defeating defending champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico by a razor-thin split decision in Las Vegas on March 15, Pacquiao became the first Asian to win three world championships in as many weight divisions.
