Macau, SAR - Walking into the Cotai Arena of the Venetian Macau, I had the feeling that my friend Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte would turn heads among the largely Filipino crowd who trooped to watch the championship fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and American Chris Algieri.
It was about 10 a.m. and the action inside the arena has started but there were still people at the entrance gates when the 69-year-old colorful Mayor strode in accompanied by his high school classmate and childhood friend Carlos "Sonny" Dominguez, the former secretary of agriculture, his two sons, Ralph and Nacho, his aide, Bong Go, myself and two more friends.
First, there were just about two of three who recognized him saying: "Hala, si Mayor Duterte!"
As several others heard the name Duterte, what followed was pandenomium as people started to rush towards the Davao City Mayor who also appeared surprised by the spontaneous display of adulation and affection by people.
"Ito ang pag-asa ng bayan," several of them shouted as they pressed to get near the Davao City mayor.
"Mabuhay, President Duterte," shouted others.
As the crowd grew bigger, I stepped out and stayed with Ralph and Nacho Dominguez a short distance away and all of us witnessed what we all thought was a spectacular display of thirst and hunger of the people for a leader like Duterte.
From a distance, I raised by camera and took pictures of the spectacle. Some of the photos were out of focus but they nevertheless carried the message.
Behind me, I heard a woman ask her male companion who the center of the commotion was.
"Yan yong Mayor na matigas at palaban at nag-pa "Pak Yu" sa TV," the man told her. I almost laughed out loud.
Seeing the dramatic display of affection by people who a leader who has made his city the 4th Safest in the World and who has remained untarnished by issues of corruption in spite of his 30 years in government service, I felt a lump in my throat and almost shed a tear.
"Grabe ito Manong," Ralph Dominguez told me.
It took Mayor Duterte almost 30 minutes before he could break free from the crowd and proceed to the arena to watch the fights.
As he walked away from the crowd, I saw him take a deep breath.
I understood what that meant. Duterte was touched by what he saw and what he felt.
Inside, people applauded the performance of the fighters capped by Pacquiao's thrashing of the previously undefeated Algieri.
But my mind was still on what I witnessed outside of the arena where another fighter, one who fights for his people's right to live in peace, was literally proclaimed by the people as the man they would like to be their next President.
source: MannyPiño1.com
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