Marcos’s unannounced Singapore visit 'productive' one: Malacañang
After keeping the radio silence for a few days, Malacañang officially confirmed on Monday (October 3) that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Singapore over the weekend to watch the F1 Grand Prix.
Singaporean Minister for Manpower, Tan See Leng, has also confirmed Marcos’s attendance at the said event, which was also attended according to him by Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., and other officials from Cambodia and Saudi Arabia.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that Marcos’s unannounced visit to Singapore was a “productive” one.
“Naging produktibo ang pagdalaw sa Singapore ni Pangulong Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.,” Angeles said.
(President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s visit to Singapore is a productive one.)
“Pinagtibay niya ang mga pangunahing usapan sa huling state visit sa bayan na ito, at pinatuloy ang paghihikayat sa pag invest sa bayang Pilipinas,” Angeles added.
(He strengthened the talks from his last state visit there, and continue to enjoin them to continue their investment in the Philippines.)
Meanwhile, Tan See Leng said that he was happy to have met Marcos, and other foreign officials, at the said event as it provided an avenue for them to reaffirm and strengthen their economic relationship and bilateral relations, especially on energy cooperation and manpower policies.
“Happy to have met various Head of States, Ministers and foreign dignitaries including Bongbong Marcos … to affirm our bilateral economic relationships and strengthen collaborations in energy cooperation as well as exchange views on manpower policies on the sidelines of the race,” he wrote.
Also accompanying Marcos on this trip is his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and his wife, Rep. Yedda Romualdez.
Spotted also watching the show from a VIP area is his son, Sandro Marcos, as well as Cavite Rep. Aniela Tolentino and actress Alexa Miro, the younger Marcos's rumored girlfriend.
However, Marcos earned the ire of many online, saying that the visit is insensitive amid the crisis the country is facing.
“Kinailangan pang maglabas ng Facebook post ang isang Singaporean official bago makapaglabas ng pahayag ang Palasyo tungkol sa weekend getaway ng Pangulo. Either clueless ang palasyo o talagang pinagtakpan muna nila ang detalye ng byahe,” Bagong Alyansang Malabayan (BAYAN) Secretary-General Renato Reyes Jr. said.
(A Singaporean official needed to post on Facebook first before the Palace could release a statement regarding the President’s weekend getaway. Either the Palace is clueless, or they deliberately withheld information about the trip.)
“We want to remind Malacañang that anything that involves public funds and resources require transparency. We saw none of that last weekend. Our questions remain: How much public funds were spent for the F1 Grand Prix experience of Marcos and company?” Reyes asked.
He also asserted that the trip was “insensitive, unnecessary and irresponsible given the crisis that the nation is in.”
“Only the utterly callous and shamelessly entitled would not get this point,” he said.
Marvin Joseph Ang is a news and creative writer who follows developments on politics, democracy, and popular culture. He advocates for a free press and national democracy. Follow him on Twitter at @marvs30ang for latest news and updates. The views expressed are his own.
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