(illustration by Joshua Cabrera)
Feb. 21,2009, past 12nn, NAIA Terminal 3
I was at the airport on my way to Busuanga when Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao suddenly walked in followed by a bevy of police bodyguards and cameramen. He was headed to a waiting plane for GenSan (which I found out later in the news, his newborn baby girl was going to be baptized that same day). It seemed everyone else just stopped and cleared the way for this ordinary looking but well-dressed man. Obviously the guy seemed to enjoy the attention as well. I noticed the people around were so excited to see him. I myself, who wasn’t really a big fan, was thrilled to see another celebrity just the same (I saw Denise Laurel and John Prats earlier). Everything else just seemed to happen so fast, suddenly he was already walking towards my direction. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to dig out neither my digicam nor my celfone from my bag and he was already in front of me! Good thing I was still able to think quickly, confidently offered my hand and blurted out to him “Doc Manny, congrats!” And automatically he shook my hand without even stopping and was already a few steps away when he looked back at me and grinned, pointing his forefinger at me and said “Hehe”. I bet he knew at that instant I was from Cebu. Why? Because only Cebuanos perhaps knew he became a “doctor” (haha!) earlier that month, having been awarded an honorary doctorate degree in human kinetics by the South Western University.
He went straight to the departure area and just like all other celebrities or high-ranking officials, he didn’t go through the usual strict security check, how much more bother to take off his shoes and have them run through the xrays? And the guards on duty? Oh they were even more than happy just to see the boxing great pass through them. Who cares? After all, he is the “people’s champ”, remember?
I could only wonder who these “people” really are.
reposted from lesliestinapay.tumblr.com
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