Pacquiao issues call for unity

The Philippines’ boxing sensation Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao appealed to the nation for unity yesterday after arriving home to a huge and chaotic hero’s welcome following his victory over Mexico’s Erik Morales in Las Vegas last week.

President Arroyo sang Pacquiao’s now famous song "Para Sa ‘Yo (For You)" with him during a tribute last night at Plaza Rajah Sulaiman in Manila.

In a courtesy call on Mrs. Arroyo earlier in the day at Malacañang, Pacquiao called on the fractious Filipino society to set aside its differences not only at times when Filipinos compete in the international arena.

"Sa inyong lahat, maraming maraming salamat. Sana lagi kayong magkakaisa, may laban o wala (To all of you, thank you very much. I hope you will all be united, whether I have a bout or not)," he told Malacañang employees.

Mrs. Arroyo surprised him with a special breakfast that included glove-shaped pate brisee or empanada prepared by the Palace chef.

"Congratulations, Manny. Today is Pacquiao Day," the President said during their meeting at the Palace’s Music Room. Mrs. Arroyo shook his hand, hugged his mother Dionisia, and then greeted his wife Jinky.

Mrs. Arroyo said she had learned that Pacquiao hardly had a bite to eat because people had been swarming over him during the plane ride home.

She presented Palace chef Babes Austria and her staff to Pacquiao with the breakfast plates, each consisting of two glove-shaped empanada and a puff pastry sprinkled with black sesame seeds spelling "Round 10" — a reference to the boxing round in which he twice knocked down Morales.

Pacquaio told Mrs. Arroyo he was actually exhausted but still excited to come home.

He laughingly told Mrs. Arroyo that he managed to sleep a bit on the flight home but woke up to a pile of pieces of paper from fellow passengers seeking autographs.

Mrs. Arroyo promised to help him in whatever way she could in putting up his planned foundation for former boxers, especially those who no longer have any means of livelihood after retiring from the ring.

Aside from Mrs. Arroyo, on hand to welcome Pacquiao were Vice President Noli de Castro, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and chief of staff Michael Defensor.

Excited Malacañang employees temporarily stopped work and cheered when Pacquaio walked the grounds with Mrs. Arroyo, De Castro and the rest of his companions during a tour of the Palace.

Some took photographs of him while the others watched from a distance as the Presidential Security Group restricted the crowd.

In the excitement, officials never realized that Mrs. Arroyo was left behind before mounting the stage set for the boxing champion’s arrival.

Before going to Malacañang, Pacquiao shunned media questions related to politics in a press conference at the Manila City Hall, where the city government prepared a hero’s welcome.

He rejected speculation that the Arroyo administration might try to take advantage of the national euphoria and use him to promote its initiative to amend the Constitution.

"No comment. ‘Di ko alam iyan. Wala muna politics. Sports lang tayo ngayon (I don’t know anything about that. Let’s not talk about politics for the meantime. Let’s stick to sports only today)," Pacquiao

Asked if he would do what he could to promote national unity, Pacquiao replied: "Kung saan makakatulong, handa akong gawin kahit ano dahil mahal ko ang bansa natin at proud ako na maging Pilipino (Wherever I can, I’m ready to whatever I can because I love our country and I’m proud to be a Filipino)."

After spending two months in the United States to prepare for his grudge match with Morales, Pacquiao said he now wanted to spend time with his wife and two sons.

Aside from the holidays, he missed his wife’s birthday on Jan. 12. He also spent his birthday on Dec. 17 away from his family.

In the midst of the frenzy was one boxer who gave as much honor to the country on the evening of Pacquiao’s fight in Las Vegas but was unintentionally shunted to the sidelines yesterday.

Jimrex Jaca (real name Jimuel Divino) was stopped from entering the auditorium to join Pacquiao at the press conference by city hall security officers who failed to recognize him.

The 22-year-old Jaca, already a three-time champion, knocked out his Mexican opponent in the first round of his title-card bout.

Jaca said he had no ill feelings over the treatment. However, he and Pacquiao were both honored during a parade that followed after Pacquiao’s Malacañang visit.

Still, Jaca said the parade — from Manila to Quezon City and back — should only be for Manny. "Masaya na ako dahil first time ko sasama sa parade sa Maynila dahil taga-Cebu ako (I’m already happy because it’s my first time to join a parade in Manila and I’m from Cebu)," he told reporters.

Later in the evening, Pacquiao was feted with a tribute at Plaza Rajah Sulaiman along Roxas Boulevard, where he sang a song that he composed, dedicating his rematch to the nation.

Caught up in the euphoria, an off-key Mrs. Arroyo — reading the lyrics from a sheet of paper — had a duet with Pacquiao. She also joined singer Sarah Geronimo in the popular song "Pinoy Ako" (I’m a Filipino) and danced a bit, enjoying herself.

Pacquiao gave Mrs. Arroyo a CD copy of his song as a gift.

Mrs. Arroyo praised Pacquiao for bringing honor to the country, saying that God played a "major part" in his victory. She added she was touched when Pacquiao knelt and said a prayer before the fight.

"We were also hurt every time he was hit," she said.

Pacquiao told the crowd that he won because the whole country prayed for him. "He listens more when more of us pray together."

Very warm welcome

Everywhere Pacquiao went, there was jubilation as well as pandemonium as Filipinos tried to get a glimpse of the man who fought with the nation on his shoulders.

Jaca was stopped from joining the press conference but city hall security officers were overwhelmed by hordes of autograph seekers who drowned out Pacquiao’s replies to reporters’ questions.

Despite a drizzle, thousands of fans lined up and almost overflowed into the streets during the victory parade, causing a monstrous traffic jam.

Even before the champ stepped off his Philippine Airlines flight early yesterday, a crowd of reporters and photographers were already waiting for an hour and jockeying for position at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Centennial Terminal II.

The excited atmosphere got some comic relief when a loud crash came from a corridor where Pacquiao was expected to emerge.

Several airport security guards and police officers rushed in to investigate the noise only to find that a police general had fainted and crashed to the floor.

A few minutes later, an apparently groggy and disoriented Chief Superintendent Napoleon Cachuela, deputy director for operations of the National Capital Region Police Office, emerged from the corridor, along with Senior Superintendent Jovy Gutierrez, deputy director of the Southern Police District, and other security officials — to the click of media cameras.

Superintendent Pablo Balagtas said Cachuela explained to the others when he came to that he had been exhausted and hadn’t been getting enough sleep lately.

Police officers were already at the airport at 3 a.m. for Pacquiao’s 5 a.m. arrival, Balagtas added.

The long wait soon turned into a frenzy as Pacquiao finally got off the plane.

Angry howls of protest from journalists and news photographers then erupted when former Manila councilor-turned-television show host Kim Atienza invaded a blocked-off section of the lobby and began firing questions at Pacquiao.

Prompted by the indignant mob, airport security officers warded off Atienza but he refused to budge for several minutes.

"Maraming maraming salamat sa inyong walang sawang suporta (Thank you very, very much for your unwavering support)," Pacquiao yelled to journalists and an admiring throng of travelers.

But pandemonium worsened when several reporters and photographers attempted to climb over the railing set up to keep them away from Pacquiao and his party.

Airport guards and police officers quickly held them off until Pacquiao was escorted to a waiting van that brought him to Hyatt Hotel. — With Evelyn Macairan, Rainier Allan Ronda, Pia Lee-Brago