MANILA -- The "Pacman fever" gripped thousands of cheering fans who filled several venues around Manila on Sunday to watch for free the live telecast of the Filipino boxing great's rematch with Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez.

At the San Andres Sports Complex and Civic Center, the wide screen projector set up inside the stadium gave 5,000 people a "ringside" view of the match.

But fans saw how precarious Pacquiao’s position was at times in the fight. Monina Morales, a 53-year-old accountant, said she thought Pacquiao would lose the bout.

"Malakas din si Marquez ha, pasalamat si Pacman napatumba niya si Marquez nung third round, kung hindi, talo siya sigurado," she told Inquirer. [Marquez was strong too. Pacman should be thankful he was able to knock down Marquez in the third round, otherwise, he would have lost, that’s for sure.]

Outside the spacious air-conditioned complex in Malate, streets were deserted save for some policemen patrolling the area. But inside, the crowd cheered whenever Manny Pacquiao staggered Marquez.

The male-dominated crowd erupted in cheers each time Pacquiao landed a solid blow, particularly during the third round when he knocked down Marquez. They jumped in ecstasy and shouted with glee, with some even anticipating that it was already the end of the fight.

"Tapos na ang laban, panalo na si Pacquiao," one man shouted. [The fight is over. Pacquiao has won.]

Moments after Pacquiao knocked Marquez down in the third, bank employee Renato Ingalla was heard excitedly telling a friend over the phone: "Pare (Mate), you owe me P1,000."

At one point during the match, a man was heard speaking on the phone, giving someone a blow-by-blow account of the fight, prompting others in the audience to hush him.

The audience also cheered in delight whenever the faces of other famous boxers like Mike Tyson and Erik Morales, who watched the fight in Las Vegas arena, were shown on the screen.

Posters and banners ("Pacman for President") displayed by Pacquiao's fans, likewise, elicited laughter from the boxing fans.

But it was not all screaming inside the stadium. There was also a solemn moment of patriotism when Filipino actress and singer Ciara Sotto sang the national anthem before the bout began.

In Quiapo, Manila, 55-year-old carpenter Rolando Perez stayed after the 11 a.m. mass to watch, along with hundreds of other people, the fight's delayed telecast on the huge electronic billboard of the Mercury Drugstore at the Plaza Miranda, adjacent to Quiapo Church.

"I would not be able to catch it on television if I go home now," Perez, who claimed to be an avid fan of Pacquiao, said, adding that he even brought packed lunch so he would not have to leave his place in the crowd as soon as the fight started.

Fr. Alvin Fullon, assistant parish priest of Quiapo Church, on the other hand, said that the boxing fight, which coincided with Palm Sunday, did not affect the church attendance.

"The church was jam-packed even during the period when it was shown live in some areas in Manila," he said.

Meanwhile, several uniformed policemen and plainclothes officers were deployed in the plaza to secure the area and prevent pickpockets and snatchers from victimizing the people.

But one policeman noted that the crowd who watched at the plaza on Sunday was small compared with those who came to watch Pacquiao's previous fights.

"Maaraw kasi [it’s too hot]," the lawman said, adding that most people probably opted to watch the bout at home.

But many residents, instead of waiting for the delayed telecast on the local network, opted to follow the fight on radio to know the outcome immediately.

"If you are really itching to know the result, better listen to the radio. It also had a blow-by-blow account," businessman Carolo Manimtim, 35, said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said the city government would organize a motorcade and hero's welcome for Pacquiao.

The Manila Police District also said that apart from a fire that hit a residential area in Sta. Ana, Manila, no untoward incident was reported while the Pacquiao-Marquez match was being telecast.