Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson hosted a victory party for WBO welterweight champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, who showed the world he is still in top boxing form when he dominated the 12-round bout with Chris Algieri via a unanimous decision.
The celebrity-studded affair held at Singson’s residence at Corinthian Gardens in Quezon City had former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada as one of the guests, and it’s apparent that the erstwhile foes have become “frenemies” — if not “bosom buddies” — once again. Vice President Jojo Binay is present of course, with the Veep reportedly eyeing the “People’s Champ” as a potential running mate for the 2016 elections.
Everyone knows Chavit and Manny are very good friends, with the former acting as political mentor when the Sarangani congressman was just cutting his teeth in politics. Just how close the friendship is can perhaps be gleaned by the fact that Singson can speak his mind about Manny’s tendency to be overgenerous to people. And then there is the unfailing presence of the former Ilocos Sur governor in support of Pacquiao every time the latter has a fight. (Of course, many can still remember the angry outburst of the Ilocano politician that he would feed conditioning coach Alex Ariza — who used to be with the Pacquiao camp — to his pet tigers for kicking coach Freddie Roach prior to a match between Manny and Brandon Rios.
Aside from showbiz celebs that included legendary actresses Gloria Romero and Amalia Fuentes, top businessmen and society’s notable personalities — members of the diplomatic corps were also present, which shows that the extent of the Pacman’s popularity cuts across age, gender, social status and nationality.