The People’s Champion was knocked out a few days ago. Not during a fight. But on board Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight No. 103 from Los Angeles to Manila.
Eric Pineda, who heads Pacquiao’s marketing team, was on the same flight and said the fighter was so exhausted that the rest was heaven-sent. Pacquiao slept nearly the entire 12-hour flight and didn’t have a bite to eat, skipping the sumptuous meals prepared for PAL’s passengers.
A few hours before landing, Pacquiao woke up and thought of taking breakfast. But he only fiddled with the spoon on his breakfast tray before slumping back in his seat to sleep some more.
"It had to be the Tylenol PM that he took," said Pineda. "That knocked him out but it was a blessing in disguise because he got a lot of much-needed sleep and rest."
What Erik Morales couldn’t do in the ring, a tiny pill did. Pacquiao slept like a log in his comfortable first class seat.
Pacquiao’s schedule has never been as hectic since he demolished Morales in Las Vegas last Jan. 21. After the fight, he spent another night in Las Vegas before motoring to Los Angeles. Then, Pacquiao and his traveling party took off from Los Angeles for Manila last Wednesday and arrived here early Friday morning.
From the airport, Pacquiao was whisked to the Hyatt Hotel where he freshened up in his 15th floor suite for a full day of activities. He was interviewed live on radio and TV before leaving for the Manila City Hall at 9 a.m.
From the City Hall, it was off to Malacanang for a meeting with the President. Pacquiao took a few bites of the glove-shaped empanadas the Palace chef baked, spoke with the Chief Executive and posed for pictures then went back to the City Hall for the start of what turned out to be a five-hour motorcade.
Someone commented that the scene at Malacanang during Pacquiao’s visit was more tumultuous than when multitudes invaded the Palace grounds at the height of the 1986 EDSA Revolution.
Along the motorcade route, Pineda bought boxes of fried chicken for Pacquiao and his group but the fighter opted not to eat.
?Manny told me the people waiting in the streets to wave to him probably hadn’t eaten so if they could sacrifice for him, he could sacrifice for them,? said Pineda.
The motorcade snaked through some of Manila’s busiest streets and people rushed the vehicles which crawled most of the way.
"Manny never complained," said Pineda. "He smiled and waved for five hours and didn’t eat. That’s how much he loves our people. He sacrifices himself for us in and out of the ring."
Pineda said Pacquiao has captured the imagination of not only Filipinos but also of Mexicans.
"Mexican fans know what Manny has accomplished," said Pineda. "They appreciate warriors like Manny and of course, it’s only Manny who has knocked out their idols (Marco Antonio) Barrera and Morales. For instance, there’s this Mexican guy Victor who’s a manager at the Ballys in Las Vegas. He goes around wearing a Manny Pacquiao T-shirt. Once, he treated Manny to a 1,500 square foot suite in his hotel. And during the Morales rematch, he offered rooms for free to some of Manny’s friends who couldn’t be accommodated at the Wynn."
The motorcade had a stop at the ABS-CBN complex where Willie Revillame stood by to conduct an interview and wound up at 3:30 p.m. outside the GMA-7 building on Timog. Pacquiao rushed back to the Hyatt to prepare for the 4:30 p.m. celebration hosted by Mayor Lito Atienza at the Rajah Sulaiman Plaza on Roxas Boulevard. The merry-making lasted until 7 p.m. President Arroyo made a surprise appearance and even sang with Pacquiao on stage. Singer Sarah Geronimo, Miss International Precious Quigaman, several Filipino Southeast Asian Games gold medalists and honest Grade 6 student Tinay Bugayong were guests in the show.
Back at the Hyatt, Pacquiao finally sat down to eat a real meal. He was served his favorite nilagang baka. At about 10:30 p.m., Pacquiao retired to his bedroom with wife Jinkee. He said he would sleep until late the next morning–to be disturbed only when Vice President Noli de Castro calls for a radio chat.
Now that he’s the country’s most popular citizen, Pacquiao isn’t letting it get to his head.
Broadcaster Dyan Castillejo of the ABS-CBN network said she’s convinced Pacquiao won’t change.
"I spent three weeks following him wherever he went every day before the Morales fight," she said. "He’s quite a guy. He cares for our people and he’s very close to the Lord. He prays a lot. He draws inspiration from the book ‘A Purpose-Driven Life’ which he reads over and over. He was so distraught when he saw on TV an old woman cried because she waited for him to pass by in the motorcade but the route was changed or cut short and she never saw him. That’s how he is. He has such a big heart–he’s not only a champion fighter but also a champion human being."