In a controversial event, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended his attendance at the recent concert of the British rock band Coldplay, arriving in a helicopter. According to Marcos, the said concert was “unmissable.”
“Perhaps by now, you know that I am truly a music lover. I have loved it for a long time,” Marcos stated in an interview with a national news agency.
However, the Marcos family quickly became the center of attention on social media due to the use of a helicopter to go to Coldplay’s concert on January 19. Most comments expressed the dismay of netizens, emphasizing the funding of the president’s short and expensive trip using taxpayers’ money.
In response, the Presidential Security Command justified the use of the helicopter, stating that the heavy traffic from the 40,000 Coldplay fans heading to the Philippine Arena in Bulacan “posed a potential threat to the security of the president.”
Despite the controversy, Marcos insisted that the Coldplay concert was “fantastic.”
Marcos’s failure to complete his bachelor’s degree at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom has been a national issue. Nevertheless, he mentioned that he has studied music for many years and considers Coldplay to be “unmissable.”
Accompanying Marcos in watching the said concert were his wife and child, where a video captured what seemed to be a moment of embarrassment for him by Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin due to the severe traffic. Marcos covered his ears while the audience continued to mockingly enjoy the situation.
This event has led to the public’s scrutinizing examination of the president’s actions, becoming part of the ongoing discourse on good governance and the use of public funds. While music is an essential part of his life, many are questioning whether it is a sufficient reason for the controversial use of public funds.