Pacquiao meets Obama

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao met with US President Barack Obama and US Senator Harry Reid during a White House at the White House Wednesday morning (Manila time), Radyo Inquirer reported.

Pacquiao, who won an election in his native Philippines and now represents Sarangani province, posed for pictures and exchanged gifts with Obama. Only Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, were allowed to meet with the US president while their entourage waited outside the office, it said.

Obama gave Pacquiao a bag full of M&M’s chocolate with the US seal and a watch with the presidential seal, the report said.

Pacquiao also invited Obama to watch his fight with Shane Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada but the US president declined, saying that he will be busy that day. Nevertheless, Obama promised to watch the bout on TV.

Nine months ago Pacquiao entered and won his riding in the Philippines national elections and is working on improving the infrastructure in the province by building hospitals and upgrading schools.

Last year, Pacquiao helped campaign for Reid, who did some boxing in his youth. (report from Inquirer.net / DZIQ-Radyo Inquirer)