MANILA, Jan 27 (Reuters) – Traffic came to a standstill and cheering fans lined the streets of Manila on Friday to mark the return of local boxer Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao beat Erik Morales in a non-title super-featherweight fight in Las Vegas on Jan. 21, avenging his loss to the Mexican last March.
The second-ranked contender to Marco Barrera’s World Boxing Council crown, “The Pacman” is now expected to replace Morales as the number one challenger.
Pacquiao had breakfast with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the presidential palace before being paraded around the capital on a flatbed truck decked out with Philippine flags.
“Fight Pacquiao, fight,” said minibus driver Ferdinand Rivera, punching his fist in the air. “You’re my idol.”
“Eye of the Tiger”, the theme song from the boxing movie “Rocky III”, blared from speakers, crowds chanted his name and television stations carried live coverage of the procession.
From General Santos City on the southern island of Mindanao, Pacquiao has long enjoyed celebrity status in the Philippines, appearing in movies and TV sitcoms. He has even recorded songs in the Tagalog language.
Pacquiao’s victory briefly united Filipinos after months of political turmoil as they watched the fight at home, in cinemas and on giant screens at public parks across the country.
Police said the crime rate dropped to near zero, while the military recorded no rebel activity.
Filipinos joked about how his fight may have even stopped an attempted coup against Arroyo, while others were more serious in calling for him to run for president.
“No comment,” Pacquiao told reporters when asked about his political ambitions. “I’m only 27 years old and too young to hang up my gloves.” (Reporting by Karishma Vyas and Pedro Uchi)
