President Marcos on Tuesday said Coldplay’s concert was “indeed unmissable,” deflecting criticisms over his decision to attend the British rock band’s return to the country nearly seven years since their first performance in front of their Filipino fans.
“By now, you know that I am really a music lover. I have been for a long time. I studied music for many years. And to have somebody like Coldplay, it was unmissable, cannot be missed,” the President said in a chance interview in Bulacan.
“It was, by the way, fantastic. Ask anybody who attended the concert.
Ibang klase. It’s not the concert we used to go to. It’s different,” he added.
Mr. Marcos described the concert as “spectacular.”
“I really have never seen anything like that. There is nothing like that in Batac [Ilocos Norte],” he said.
The President watched the concert with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and their youngest son, William Vincent.
“The Coldplay concert was awesome! Bravo Chris Martin!!” the First Lady wrote on Instagram.
The presidential security group earlier defended the decision for the First Couple to ride a chopper to attend the concert, citing “unexpected traffic issues” that posed security concerns for the executive.
“Yesterday, the Philippine Arena experienced an unprecedented influx of 40,000 individuals eagerly attending a concert, resulting in unforeseen traffic complications along the route,” said Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander Maj. Gen. Jesus Nelson Morales.
He said the traffic situation prompted the security group to convince Mr. Marcos to use the presidential chopper to avoid any possible potential threat.