MANNY PACQUIAO was all set to go. Boxes containing gifts had already been taped close and the famed fighter had been itching to return home as early as Sunday night.
But a call from New York came on Tuesday morning and the boxer and his bloated entourage, supposed to fly to Manila via Philippine Airlines at 10 p.m. that day, were told to wait for two more days and fly to San Francisco.
Somebody from Pacquiao’s camp in Los Angeles told the Bulletin late Wednesday night that Pacquiao was requested to travel to the Bay Area so he could meet President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo there so they could fly back to Manila together.
If this plan had pushed through, the Chief Executive and Pacquiao would have arrived in Manila tomorrow morning.
But the same source called back a few minutes later and said Pacquiao has been allowed to go one day ahead of the President.
“If the call had come a bit earlier in the day, we would have boarded the PAL plane that took off on Tuesday night and we would have been in Manila on Thursday morning,” said the boxing man. “But when we were told that okay lang for us to go ahead, it was already too late to catch the Tuesday night flight of PAL.”
Manila Mayor Lito Atienza had already planned a rousing welcome for Pacquiao on Thursday morning, but it had to wait for one day.
“The City of Manila told us to get to Manila on Friday, not on Saturday because wala naman daw masyadong tao kapag Sabado,” said the source, stressing that Pacquiao’s decision to fly back a day ahead of the presidential entourage had the go-signal of President Arroyo.
Atienza is preparing a welcome parade for Pacquiao which he dubbed a “Champion’s Motorcade.”
Parade organizer Manila Sports Council (MASCO) led by Chairman Arnold “Ali” Atienza, said the motorcade will start from city hall at 9:30 a.m. after a brief ceremony and will pass through the following streets: right at Natividad Lopez, left at San Marcelino, left at Ayala to Legarda, left at Recto, right at Delpan, left at Zaragosa, right at R-10, right at Moriones, left at Juan Luna, right at Tayuman, right at Abad Santos to Reigna Regente.
The motorcade will then pass through Juan Luna, left at Plaza Cervantes, right at Quintin Paredes, right at Reigna Regente to Abad Santos, right at Tayuman, right at Arsenio H. Lacson, left at Laong-Laan, right at Maceda, left at S.H. Loyola to Matimyas, right at Blumentritt Ext., right at G. Tuazon, left at D. Santiago, left at Buenos Aires, right at Altura, right at R. Magsaysay Blvd., left at Nagtahan, left at Jesus to Laura, left at Carreon to Tejeron, right at A. Francisco and left at Onyx to Dagonoy Market in San Andres.
Pacquiao, who beat Hector Velazquez at Staples Center in Los Angeles last Saturday, is expected to have a busy itinerary starting on the day of his arrival. His hometown of General Santos City is also raring to welcome the 26-year-old southpaw.
But Pacquiao should be on his way out of the country within a week after his arrival since he has promised Wakee Salud that he will be at ringside when Heriberto Gejon, who is managed by Salud, shoots for the World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight title on Sept. 25 in Yokohama, Japan.
“We are booked to fly to Tokyo on Friday (Sept. 23),” said Salud just before they boarded the PAL jet that took off on Wednesday night (early-Thursday afternoon in Manila).
Pacquiao will face Erik Morales in a rematch on Jan. 21, 2006 in Las Vegas.
