Duterte’s lechon at ‘simple’ birthday party criticized, defended

President Rodrigo Duterte's 76th birthday celebration in Davao City earned criticism and mockery online on Sunday after a lechon was noticeably missing in the photos of him at the event.

Earlier on Sunday, photos provided by Duterte's closest aide Senator Bong Go showed the President sitting in front of a single birthday candle planted on a serving of rice. 

Pres. Duterte blows a candle to mark his 76th birthday today (???? from Sen. Bong Go) @gmanews pic.twitter.com/RJulenSiLW

— Joseph Morong ???????? (@Joseph_Morong) March 28, 2021

However, a video uploaded (and later deleted) by a person at the event showed the table laden with food, including a lechon, or roast suckling pig.

Screencap from a now-deleted Facebook post

The lechon has sparked ire and snark online, including one from a lawmaker. 

"Acting poor for your birthday photo ops when you're not really poor is just mocking those who truly have nothing to put on their tables for their own birthdays," sniped Bayan Muna Representative Ferdinand Gaite on Twitter.

Go, meanwhile, went all in on defense of the President.

“Simple lunch lang naman talaga. Sila-sila lang pamilya sa munting tahanan niya sa Davao. Ganun naman mag-birthday PRRD [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte]. Wala pa ngang bihis,” he said, according to GMA News' Joseph Morong.

[It really is just a simple lunch, just the family in his small house in Davao City. That's really how PRRD celebrates his birthday. No one even gets dressed up.] 

“Presidente 'yan. Ayaw n'yo ba pakainin man lang ng pagkain na kinakain naman ng ordinaryong Pilipino kahit saan...kahit man lang sa kaarawan niya?

“Sa mga bumabatikos kay Pangulo, tingin kayo sa salamin. Mas cute pa ang lechon sa inyo,” Go added.

[He's the President. Do you not want him to eat what ordinary Filipinos themselves eat anywhere, even on his birthday? To those of you criticizing the President, look in the mirror. The lechon is cuter than you.]

Go also had this to say:

“Per PRRD, labinlimang apo at kasambahay ang kumain. Ano pala ipapakain nya?”

[Per PRRD, 15 grandchildren and household helpers ate. What was he supposed to feed them?]

For his part, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, during an interview on Unang Balita on Monday, said the critics of the party are just showing "crab mentality."

Duterte was in Davao City on the eve of the re-imposition of an enhanced community quarantine over Metro Manila and nearby provinces as COVID-19 cases have surged in recent days. 

The President regularly travels to his hometown Davao City, a habit that spokesperson Harry Roque insisted is not a burden on government funds.

Duterte is scheduled to be back in Metro Manila on Monday to witness the arrival of one million doses of the Sinovac vaccine. — BM/KBK, GMA News