After photos of the President and his politician family members at the Singapore Grand Prix go viral, the city-state’s minister says views were exchanged on the sidelines of the F1 event
MANILA, Philippines – It took days of refusing to confirm or deny if the President was flying to Singapore to watch the Grand Prix, but in the wee hours of the morning on Monday, October 3, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles confirmed what several media outfits and the internet already knew; that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was in the city-state to watch Formula 1 racing.
“Naging produktibo ang pagdalaw sa Singapore ni Pangulong Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.,” said Angeles in a Facebook post made early morning Monday. (President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s visit to Singapore was productive.)
The post came days after Palace media, through official channels, asked for confirmation on reports that Marcos would be flying to Singapore to watch the Grand Prix, a motor racing event that’s part of the 2022 F1 season. The 2022 edition was the first one held since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Angeles attached to her post a screenshot of a post made by Singapore’s Minister of Manpower, Tan See Leng.
The Press Chief did not say what sort of trip the weekend Singapore sojourn was — whether it was a working or official visit – but she said Marcos “strengthened earlier talks from his last state visit.”
Marcos flew to Singapore in early September for his second state visit as president. But unlike that visit, the late-September trip was not made public, through Palace media, Angeles’ social media pages, or Marcos’ official social media accounts.
According to Minister Tan, aside from Marcos, he met Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., head of state to a nation of over 18,000 people. Palau, incidentally, celebrates its Independence Day on October 1 — the second day of the Grand Prix.
The rest of the foreign officials Ten met with were fellow ministers from Cambodia and an advisor to Saudi Arabia.
Tan said he met the two presidents, two ministers and one advisor to “affirm [Singapore’s] bilateral economic relationships and strengthen collaborations in energy cooperation as well as exchange views on manpower policies on the sidelines of the race.”
The Singapore weekend travel would be Marcos’ fourth known foreign trip since taking his oath on June 30. His first two were state visits to Indonesia and Singapore. He recently held a six-day working visit to the US for the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
It’s also not the first time for Marcos to be criticized for frivolity as chief executive. In his first few days of office, the new president was criticized for holding at least two parties in Malacañang, triggering memories of excess and lavish parties during the first Marcos presidency.
The President is the son and namesake of the dictator Marcos Sr, who was ousted from power in 1986.
– Rappler.com
