A TRIUMPHANT Manny Pacquiao returned to the country from Los Angeles Friday morning and was a accorded a hero’s welcome by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and thousands of his adoring countrymen.
So beloved is Pacquiao that his throng of Filipino fans braved the morning rain just to have a glimpse of their returning hero in the ensuing motorcade around the city’s major thoroughfares.
Smiling from ear to ear, Pacquiao, was mobbed by employees at the Manila City Hall where he paid Atienza a courtesy call and held a short press conference.
The 26-year-old boxer from General Santos City presented Atienza with the shorts he wore on the night knocked out Hector Velazquez in the sixth round to win the World Boxing Council international super featherweight crown at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao thanked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Atienza and the Filipino people for supporting him all the way.
On board the small open truck and shielded from the rain by a large umbrella, Pacquiao waved to his fans as the motorcade went from one district to another in Manila where he is an adopted son.
Pacquiao is slated to fight Erik Morales in a rematch on Jan. 21 in Las Vegas.
