MANILA, Philippines — Once again, the nation will be at his feet.
On the eve of Manny Pacquiao’s expected return to Manila at 4 a.m. Tuesday, airport authorities were already preparing the Centennial Terminal’s Presidential Lounge for him — a VIP room normally used only by foreign heads of state, incumbent and former Philippine presidents and other high dignitaries.
Then will come a motorcade through Manila’s six districts in a welcome fit only for conquering heroes.
The Filipino boxer on Sunday blazed new glory by bombing Mexican Jorge Solis to submission with his fists in eight rounds at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Pacquiao is expected to be greeted by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza upon his arrival. He will proceed to the Manila City Hall at 8:30 a.m.
“The whole country is rejoicing,” Atienza said. “He will make his traditional call at the City Hall, and we will hold a motorcade where hundreds of thousands of our people will flock to greet him.”
“Manny is a national treasure,” Atienza added.
He said he expected a “wild” welcome for the Filipino ring legend.
Pacquiao is expected to pay a courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malaca?ang before riding on a motorcade around 10 a.m.
The motorcade route
The motorcade will start at the Manila City Hall and move on to Jones Bridge.
Then it will rumble through the following areas — Escolta, Plaza Sta. Cruz, F. Torres, Gil Puyat, Quezon Boulevard (Quiapo Church and Quinta market), Globo de Oro, Gunao, Arlegui, Legarda, Recto (Divisoria area), Del Pan, Zaragoza, R-10, Moriones, Juan Luna, Hermosa, Rizal Avenue Extension (Tambunting), Aurora Boulevard, Maceda, Fajardo, Plaza Figueras (Bustillos), Legarda, Nagtahan, Jesus, Laura, Dr. Carreon, Tejeron, A. Francisco, Nakar, Diamante, San Andres, A. Linao, President Quirino, Adriatico and the Manila Zoo.
Organizers did not say why the motorcade would have to end at the zoo.
Asked if the motorcade might be a problem with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Atienza said there was “no reason” why the welcome tradition in Manila should be changed.
“We’ve done this with all his wins,” he said.
First class
Atienza’s son Ali, a candidate for Manila mayor, will join the motorcade.
Mayor Atienza invited all who wanted to welcome Pacquiao to stay along the routes. “We will pass by all the districts,” he said.
As when he came home after knocking out another Mexican boxer, Erik Morales, last November, Pacquiao was to fly first class via Philippine Airlines Flight PR-113, which was to make a stopover in Guam after departing Los Angeles.
Airport authorities said Pacquiao’s wife Jinky and another relative would board the flight, which was scheduled to touch down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at 4:30 a.m.
The 28-year-old boxer’s fans and party mates had requested airport access passes to welcome him but, as before, only Mayor Atienza would be allowed to wait near the aerobridge, where Pacquiao would emerge after deboarding the plane.
No violation
A hero’s welcome for Pacquiao, who is running for a seat in Congress, will not violate any election laws, Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. said Monday.
“Let’s not deny him that (hero’s welcome). It just so happened that he’s a candidate. But he’s a hero,” Abalos said in a media briefing.
He said that welcome ceremonies for Pacquiao could be organized in any part of the country, even in General Santos City, where he is running against reelectionist Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio.
But Abalos advised the media, especially the television networks and radio stations, to give Custodio equal exposure in the spirit of fairness.
“Give others a chance too, to be safe and to be fair,” Abalos said.
Abalos said that the introduction of Pacquiao as a congressional candidate before the fight at the Alamodome was not violative of any election laws.
“It’s not an endorsement but a statement of fact that he is a congressional candidate,” Abalos said. With a report from Nikko Dizon
