Last weekend could have very well been ?Manny Pacquiao Day? for the trip back to Manila from a record-setting eighth division world title in boxing in Dallas, Texas, dominated radio, television, print, the internet and social media.
From the moment Pacquiao arrived at the NAIA on board a Philippine Air Lines (PAL) flight from Los Angeles (LA), well wishers and even media were in a frenzied mood. There was a rush toward Pacquiao the moment he stepped out of the plane and into the tube as security men ensured the champion?s unimpeded exit from the airport terminal.
We had been monitoring his departure through one of Pacquiao?s business advisers, Eric Pineda, the whole day of Friday (Thursday in LA) till Pacquiao boarded the plane.
The constant monitoring was needed because of the minor confusion created by one of the networks that had announced that Pacquiao was coming home on Monday. We had participated in the planning of the courtesy call of Pacquiao on President Benigno Aquino III as early as 30 minutes after the bout inside Pacquiao?s dressing room at the Cowboys Stadium. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who was with the President at the APEC meeting in Japan, had responded to my text to the President about a telephone call from the President to congratulate Pacquiao on his victory. The President had Purisima call me and within seconds, the President was congratulating Pacquiao.
Before we hung up, I had mentioned to Purisima that Pacquiao would be back by Friday and that a courtesy call around 10:30 A.m. on the President at Malacanang seemed to be most realistic. Shortly after the phone call however, Pacquiao told me that he had some appointments on Wednesday and Saturday would be the better day.
Pacquiao?s return trip on Saturday, Nov. 20, was confirmed by Pineda himself when he got back from Dallas also on Wednesday, the day after I arrived from Dallas. This was further reinforced when Pineda called me Friday to tell me that ?at this very minute, Manny and the group are about to board.?
We therefore relayed the word to the Palace that it was definite that Pacquiao would be back on Saturday and that (subject to the President?s confirmation) Pacquiao would be at the Palace Guesthouse by 11 a.m., after breakfast at New World and Mass at the Quiapo Church.
When we got down for breakfast, the New World lobby was jampacked with people listening to Pacquiao deliver his message of thanks. The media and the crowd trailed him and wife Jinkee to the coffee shop where we, together with among others, William and Wilson Tieng and Peter Chanliong of Solar; former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza; lawyer Romy Makalintal; and GMA chairman Felipe Gozon had a one-hour breakfast with the Filipino boxing icon.
We opted not to join the Quiapo Church mass and instead prepared for the courtesy call of Pacquiao at Malaca?ang. Pineda and I once again went through what had now become our routine: I called him and he informed me that they were already inside Quiapo Church. I expected more ?up to the minute? reports from Pineda so that the Tieng brothers (and William?s son, Congressman Irwin) and I could move out of New World before 10 a.m. and be in Malacanang by 10:30 A.m. or well before the 11 A.m. schedule.
To my surprise, Pineda called me up at 10:15 a.m. to inform me that Pacquiao was already at the Guesthouse, 45 minutes ahead of schedule. It turned out that Pineda was (again) the ?designated driver? and could not pick up his phone.
At the Guesthouse, there was again a rush of photo ops that included the normally formal and stiff members of the Presidential Security Group. The President arrived a few minutes before 11 a.m. and within seconds Pacquiao was delivering his statement. After Pacquiao?s statement, the President delivered his own. This was followed by a series of questions from media to which both Pacquiao and the President responded. There was also the photo ops, the most amusing part of which was when the photographers themselves asked to be photographed with Pacquiao and there was a problem as to who would take the pictures.
In the evening, we arrived after dinner at a Chinese dinner at Jasmine at New World hosted by Solar. There we had a chance to talk briefly to the champion and posed for some pictures with my youngest daughter Mayen (and her friends) and my wife, Margie.
It was a long day with us acting as wedding sponsor in between the Pacquiao activities. We started at 6 a.m. and ended the day at 11 p.m. We were part of history ? and we were pleasantly tired and happy for our country and Pacquiao.
