PACQUIAO PULLS A HOUDINI AT L.A. AIRPORT
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 10 Feb 2011
Tom Bradley International Airport, LAX:- As the father of two very accomplished world-class professional magicians, my son Enrico de la Vega and his sister Melissa, I thought that I already saw the best ?vanishing act? ever in my life.
That is before tonight. And, here is the story.
I took a trip to LAX to cover the arrival of Manny Pacquiao. I arrived at the LAX parking structure P-4 opposite the International Arrival Area at LAX. As I pulled in, I saw a car coming out so I parked in the spot just vacated. Parked next to the slot I parked on was a car with an opened back door.
Standing besides it was Top Rank?s Chris Farina, the Las
Vegas based top-notched sports photographer who was getting his gear ready. Also there was Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels.
Together we walked to the arrival area and joined a large group of people waiting for the arrival of Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao security chief, Rob Peters was there and so were many media people including those from CBS Channel 9, the people from GMA, the one and only Elie Seckbach of Fan House, Ricardo Jimenez of Top Rank and even Dennis D?Source Guillermo, one of the sharpest present day US-based Pilipino sports writers.
As usual, the plane was late so we spent the time chatting with each other and having fun watching Seckbach as he did his thing with his video camera.
A little after 8:00 PM, people on PAL flight 102 started to come out one by one. The sight of those huge balikbayan boxes told us that Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinky are not too far behind.
Rob Peters and his security crew begun mapping out the exit plan for the Pacquiao's with the help and consent of the LAPD. They even got permission from the LAPD to coral a small portion of the foyer outside the arrival gate so Pacquiao can have an impromptu media interview and photo op.
So the stage was set to welcome the world?s boxer of the decade, his wife and the entourage.
When we saw Winchell Campos, one of Pacquiao?s loyal friends and confidant, we knew that the moment is just around the corner.
Then Nick Giongco and Abac Cordero, the two Philippine top sports writers (from the Manila Bulletin and Philippine Star respectively), came though the arrival ramp.
Giongco and Cordero stopped to chat with the media people.
?I saw Manny and Jinky with a couple of security people being escorted to the VIP area and I think they went out the terminal through another gate,? Cordero said.
True enough, Pacquiao went through the VIP security gate and disappeared to the night. Not a single soul saw him.
That indeed, was pure magicaL total vanishing act.. an Houdini par excellence!
When someone mentioned Pacquiao was still outside the media rushed out to the curb where cars are waiting to pick up arriving passengers. Only Michael Koncz was there to be seen.
Pacquiao was long gone.
Pacquiao we learned later took off for his house at the Hancock Park for a well deserved rest.
Tomorrow (Thursday, LA Time) at noon, he will meet the press at the Beverly Hills Hotel along Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
?You better come early,? suggested Lee Samuels to me. Bob Arum will be having a huge press conference and the media will be there in huge numbers, he added.
Of course, it was disappointing not to be able to photograph Pacquiao as he came to Los Angeles. But, the photo op was not a total lose. A kid dressed as Pacquiao, complete with a head band and gloves was there amongst the crowd. And, he was willing to pose for photos.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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