INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and the 390 passengers who arrived in the country Friday morning from Los Angeles did not show any symptoms of the deadly A (H1N1) virus, an airport official said.

Retired Gen. Angel Atutubo, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) security chief, said Pacquiao, his wife Jinkee and other members of Team Pacquiao went through the thermal scanner to determine their body temperature as soon as they disembarked from Philippine Airlines Flight 103 around 6:15 a.m.

Atutubo said not a single passenger of the flight had fever or any other symptoms of the dreaded virus.

“All of them tested negative for any sign of having the virus,” Atutubo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Because Pacquiao did not join the regular passengers, he said MIAA put up a thermal camera machine in the gallery side on the northwing portion of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Like any other passenger, he said the Filipino boxing champion and his 15-member party were subjected to a thermal scan supervised by a medical team from the Bureau of Quarantine.

Pacquiao and company were again checked by another medical team from MIAA before he held his brief press conference.

Despite the advisory from the World Health Organization to refrain from making any physical contact with members of Team Pacquiao, relatives and other relatives eagerly hugged and greeted Pacquiao.

The Filipino boxing legend excitedly kissed and embraced his three children who waited for him at the airport’s presidential lounge.

“It might be more risky if I stay there. I feel safer here at home,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.