Philippines' Marcos Faces Backlash For Watching Singapore F1 As Inflation Hits 7.2%

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr confirmed his attendance at the Singapore Grand Prix over the weekend, justifying his presence as a“happy coincidence” with his official visit to the island country.

"You come to the Singapore F1, you can meet anybody, everyone that you want," Marcos said, recalling that he had met many potential investors during his previous attendance at the race.

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The Philippine president was invited to Singapore by his counterpart, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, for a five-day visit that includes his attendance at the weekend race.

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Marcos spokesperson Claire Castro said it would be undiplomatic to decline invitations from other heads of state.

Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo Macaraig assured the public that no public funds would be used for Marcos's attendance at the F1 race, as he would be attending as a guest of the Singaporean government.

Marcos himself argued that his attendance at the motor race facilitates conversations and connections with executives and investors - including some from the Philippines - that, he said, may be difficult to arrange through other channels.

The weekend's race would be the third time Marcos had attended, following the 2022 and 2023 editions.

Bad timing

Marcos's justification for his trip to the Grand Prix, however, drew criticism in the Philippines, with critics questioning the timing of his attendance at a high-profile sporting event while the country faces dire economic challenges.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the country's inflation rate ballooned to 7.2 per cent in September, rising sharply from 6.1 per cent in August.

The country's main seaport was also rocked by a two-day strike by truckers as Marcos flew to Singapore on Friday. The truckers complained of inefficiency at the Manila container port terminal and prohibitive fuel costs brought about by the Middle East crisis.

The Makabayan Coalition of lawmakers described Marcos's insistence on attending the race as“insensitive” and“shameless”, as ordinary Filipinos grapple with rising prices of goods and services.

“While he refuses to suspend excise and value-added taxes on petroleum products to give Filipinos a break, Marcos ironically insists on attending a motor racing event,” Gabriela representative Sarah Elago pointed out.“This is shamelessness,” Elago emphasised.

Back in August, many Filipinos criticised Marcos for partying amid the worst flooding his country had suffered in decades, saying holding a bash at one of his residences in Makati City was“tone deaf” as dozens died and millions in damages have been reported from the monsoon-fed rains and floods.

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