MANILA, Philippines – What was President Benigno Aquino III’s final lunch in the United States? Fast food from McDonald’s.

Capping off his 5-day US tour, Aquino halted traffic on Thursday, September 25, when he decided to swing by McDonald’s on Haight Street, according to San Francisco Eater. He then reportedly “browsed jazz CDs down the street at Amoeba Music.”

But it appears Aquino also did some last-minute shopping.

In a separate Facebook post, Jeff Downs, a worker at the Peninsula Gun Store in San Bruno, posted a photo of Aquino with the caption, “The randomness of gun sales. The president of the Philippines decided to stop by and buy some stuff. Really nice man!”

In an interview with ANC, Downs said Aquino, a gun enthusiast, did not buy any weapons, but purchased some accessories. 

“He spent a decent amount of money,” Downs said.

The President was in San Francisco to attend business meetings. According to a report by Balitang America, Aquino met with Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO, and president of Caesar’s Entertainment Corporation; and Steven Tight, president of International Development. He also reportedly met with John Stumpf, chairman, president, and CEO, and John Shrewberry, senior executive vice president and CFO of Wells Fargo Bank.

The report also said protesters from Bayan USA, Anakbayan, Gabriela, and NAFCON gathered outside Wells Fargo, criticizing Aquino for meeting with businessmen rather than the Filipino-American community.

Aquino had met with Filipinos in Boston and New York, as well as in all the 4 nations he visited in Europe including Germany, Belgium, Spain, and France. Malacañang had said earlier, however, that San Francisco was a last-minute stop, after businesses expressed interest in meeting with the President.

In an interview before his meetings in San Francisco, Aquino told reporters “close to 20” companies are “gung ho about investing in the Philippines.”

He also said he had met with a large American company eyeing the Philippines as an investment destination, but refused to mention its name. Aquino said the company is “several billion dollars worth” and an “industry leader,” and employs 600,000 people in one of its factories.

“It plans to build something similar in the Philippines,” Aquino said.

He departed the city at 4:40 pm local time (7:40 am Thursday, Manila time), and is expected to arrive in the country at 10 pm Thursday.

San Francisco was his last stop in the United States after Boston and New York. – Rappler.com