INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines -- Not even the sophisticated Makati crowd was immune to Manny Pacquiao?s charms.

As the victory motorcade carried him through Makati?s central business district Tuesday, office girls in uniforms shrieked like schoolgirls and smartly dressed executives whipped out their camera phones for a quick snapshot of the smiling, waving boxing idol.

"Get down from there, Manny, and give us a kiss," a middle-aged woman screamed.

A disappointed Glenn Mediano only saw Pacquiao's back as the convoy turned right on Makati Avenue. "I didn't know he would pass by here," the 37-year-old messenger said.

Office workers ran out of doors for a glimpse of the boxer. Others, more reserved, peeked out from windows.

"Idol! Idol!" some of the men shouted.

Jane Nunag, 38, said seeing Pacquiao in the flesh was thrilling. "I even took pictures," she said.

The controversy generated by Pacquiao's split-decision win over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez did not dampen her enthusiasm, she said.

Confetti did not rain down from the skyscrapers, but no matter, a pick-up full of photojournalists in front of Pacquiao's car spewed multi-colored confetti every dozen yards or so.