Palace defends Marcos viral video, says ops for calamity response continue

Malacañang on Sunday defended President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. following the circulation of videos showing him singing at First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos’ birthday celebration amid the bad weather brought by the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).

In a statement on Sunday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President continues to monitor the situation and has ordered concerned agencies to respond accordingly to the impacts of the inclement weather.

“Ang Pangulo ay Pangulo saan man siya naroroon. Ang paglalaan ng ilang oras para sa kanyang pamilya ay hindi nangangahulugang tumitigil ang kanyang tungkulin o ang operasyon ng pamahalaan,” Castro said.

(The President is the President wherever he may be. Spending some time with his family does not mean that he stops performing his duties or that government operations come to a halt.)

“Sa gitna ng matinding pag-ulan, patuloy ang kanyang pagbabantay at pag-uutos sa mga ahensya upang matiyak ang kaligtasan at agarang pagtulong sa ating mga kababayan,” she added.

(Amid the heavy rains, he continues to monitor the situation and direct government agencies to ensure the safety of our people and provide immediate assistance to those affected.)

Two videos of the President were shared via the Facebook account of Jose "Bonito" Singson Jr., the former mayor of Vigan City.

The First Lady turned 67 on Friday, August 21.

In a separate social media post, the President described the First Lady’s birthday as the “most important day in the calendar.”

“My dear Liza, we're celebrating today a most important day in the calendar; Liza Day!” the President said in a social media post.

“Happy Birthday to the First Lady of every day of my life... and beyond,” he added.

The continuous heavy rains brought by the Habagat caused flooding in Metro Manila and several areas in Luzon on Saturday, August 29.

Among the flooded areas are Dagupan, Pangsinan; Pampanga; Bataan; Bulacan; and Tarlac. —KG, GMA News