Even in retirement, Manny Pacquiao doesn’t fail to attract a big crowd.
More than half a year after announcing his decision to hang up his gloves, Pacquiao continues to receive the type of adulation reserved for royalty.
The past few weeks, I have been to several of his campaign sorties in the metro and even in the provinces and have seen how people react when he is around. ad
Seeing him get mobbed is not new to me.
Covering him non-stop since the late 1990s, I have seen fans go gaga over him even in hostile Mexico.
While Pacquiao became notorious for beating up the best Mexicans who were ranged against him, the people there love him so much that you’d never think he’s sometimes called “The Mexicutioner.”
One time — during the Mexico City leg of our five-city press tour in 2010, a large crowd gathered at the Zocalo — Distrito Federal’s main square — just to get a glimpse of the Filipino legend. Across the United States, Pacquiao is something else.
And this is the reason why I wasn’t surprised when I saw the same thing when I covered several of his meet-and-greets and motorcades the past few weeks after being assigned by the news desk to monitor his events relative to his presidential bid in the 9 May elections.
While I am happy that Pacquiao remains an attraction, I began to wonder if the warm welcome he was given in vote-rich provinces like Pangasinan in the North and Cavite and Laguna in the South would translate into votes.
Almost two weeks ago, I asked him point-blank if he believes the men and women he got to shake his hand and had their photos taken with him would vote for him.
Pacquiao, who is running fourth in the surveys, said his “people on the ground” are working extra-hard to do just that.
Besides, Pacquiao is not totally convinced that the surveys truly reflect the masses’ preference.
Just last week, when he went to the popular Mahogany Market in Tagaytay City, there was pandemonium.
While making the rounds of the fruit stalls, one vendor was so thrilled at shaking Pacquiao’s hand that he bragged about it while his buddy, another diehard fan, got caught in the banging of bodies.
“Pare, para ko na ring nasapak si (Floyd) Mayweather,” he said in utter amazement.
Again, I asked myself the same question: Would sheer fanaticism translate into votes?
I sometimes feel that the reason why they flock to his events is to get the chance to see him up close and personal.
It is possible that the reason why people go crazy is because they see him as the boxing legend, and not the candidate.
That’s kinda sad because during my time with him on the campaign trail, I could sense his genuine desire to lend a helping hand.
