Manny Pacquiao rode a big black bus inspired by the ones that he used to ride for the 300-mile journey from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in the not-so-distant past.
This time, though, Pacquiao was not en route to Sin City for a big fight.
He was bound for the Comelec-installed filing area near the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on Friday to submit his candidacy for president in the next year’s national elections, not to one of the massive casino hotels at the Las Vegas Strip that hosted his many historic fights as a professional pugilist.
The China-made bus, featuring special decals and photos of the octuple world champion, picked up Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee from their plush Makati residence before 7 in the morning.
Also on board was former Manila mayor and party-list congressman Lito Atienza, who later filed his own candidacy for the position of vice president as Pacquiao’s running mate.
With them were party leader Koko Pimentel and a few other diehard supporters.
From Makati, the bus made its way out of the ultra-luxurious neighborhood for EDSA where it ran smoothly until it made a left turn to Quezon Avenue.
Along the way, a small group of people waved at Pacquiao, who could be seen clearly from his window seat, occasionally waving, flashing the thumbs-up sign, and smiling at the people on the streets.
Motorcycle riders also honked and waved to show their support as the bus entered Manila, where Atienza used to serve as mayor from 1998 until 2007, a timespan that saw Pacquiao score a great number of victories in the ring.
Pacquiao and Atienza go from way back and it didn’t come as a surprise that the eight-division champion included the veteran politician among a small group of people he had thanked profusely when he made his farewell address two days ago for their valuable contributions to his career.
Atienza was in a number of key Pacquiao fights in the mid-2000s, including the memorable trilogy with Mexican assassin Erik “El Terrible” Morales.
Although he was no longer seen recently, Atienza remained in constant touch with the fighter who once paid him a visit at the Manila City Hall asking for support early in his storied career.
Momentarily, Pacquiao got off the bus when it reached the Rizal Park to face the media as his supporters, mostly the masses, cheered from the center island.
Then he was off again at around 8 a.m. for the 4.2-kilometer trip to the CCP.
At the Comelec, he was met by his old chum and trainer Buboy Fernandez before being asked to head to the filing center with only Jinkee, resplendent in a navy blazer and trendy pair of signature jeans, by his side.
After submitting his CoC, Pacquiao, who turns 43 on 17 December, posed for pictures and engaged members of the media in a short Q&A with safety protocols in place.
Soon afterwards, Pacquiao found himself hopping back into the bus and on his way back to Makati for lunch in a place that will soon become his new war room.
