Marcos flies to Singapore to watch F1 race

President Ferdinand Marcos flew to Singapore just days after Super Typhoon Karding (Noru) ravaged the Philippines, a source confirmed to Rappler on Sunday, October 2.

According to the source, Marcos will be watching the Formula One Grand Prix race set in Singapore on Sunday evening.

With the president were at least two family members who hold posts in the government: his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez; and his son, Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos, who is also Senior Deputy Majority Leader.

The source added Marcos will also be with Manila-based businessmen.

Cavite 7th District Representative Aniela Tolentino, in posts that are no longer on her Instagram account, showed the president already in the city-state. Tolentino herself is a ranking member of the House of Representatives as the Assistant Majority Leader.

General tickets for the event range from SG$128 (P5,250) to SG$1,288 (P52,840) for a three-day pass. Meanwhile, hospitality packages – wherein customers have a prime views of the action as well as exclusive access and food and beverages, among other perks – range from SG$1,766 (approximately P72,500) to SG$9,898 (about P406,000), dependent on location of package and length of stay.

Why Filipinos are raising their eyebrows

In a statement, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes called the trip “insensitive, unnecessary, and irresponsible.”

“We are approaching the first 100 days in office of Marcos and it has been one party after another since he returned to Malacanang. The jet-setting lifestyle is incompatible with the Office of the President. The people demand a concrete response to the economic crisis, not a partying president,” Reyes said on Sunday.

The trip comes days just after Typhoon Karding pummeled the Philippines, leading to at least 12 deaths, which included 5 rescuers from Bulacan who died on the job.

The typhoon also inflicted damage to agriculture worth almost P3 billion (about $51 million). Marcos took it upon himself to lead the country’s Department of Agriculture.

Reporters have been asking Malacañang about the trip since early this week, but officials have only declared they have “no information” on the trip.

This is not Marcos’ first visit to Singapore since he won the presidency in May. Marcos flew into the city in early September for a state visit. – with reports from Bea Cupin/Rappler.com