At least two senators stated on Wednesday that their dinner with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos at the Bahay ng Pangulo on Monday did not involve any official or political discussions.
Senate President Francis Escudero explained via a Viber message, “It was purely social and part of the regular/seasonal gathering between the Senate members and the President.”
Escudero further said that there were no discussions about impeachment moves against Vice President Sara Duterte during the dinner.
The dinner on Monday coincided with the massive Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)-led rally for peace, which supported the President’s stance against the impeachment of Duterte, his former political ally.
“None,” Escudero told ABS-CBN News when asked if impeachment or any political issues were raised during the dinner. “Our respective spouses were also invited, and most of them were there… It was just social.”
Escudero clarified that the dinner was originally planned for December. “It was purely social and part of the regular/seasonal gathering between the Senate members and the President. It was originally scheduled for December, but the Christmas season made it difficult to find a time. The last one was in June before Congress opened in July,” he said.
Senator JV Ejercito also emphasized that the dinner was purely social when asked if it was connected to the said INC rally.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III clarified that the dinner had been “scheduled months ago” and was “not pre-determined or influenced by any other event.”
In a social media post, the First Lady shared photos of the dinner, which she hosted for the senators and their spouses.
The senators seen in the photo included Escudero, Ejercito, Pimentel, along with Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, Mark Villar, Jinggoy Estrada, Cynthia Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Nancy Binay, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Loren Legarda, and Robin Padilla.
Senator Grace Poe mentioned that she was present but was “late” for the group photo. Senator Imee Marcos noted that her office did not receive an invitation.
Meanwhile, Malacañang stated it had no knowledge of what was discussed during the dinner. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin referred to it as a “social and private affair.” “I was not part of the dinner, so I have no knowledge of what happened. I don’t know,” Bersamin told reporters in a brief interview.
First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos shared a picture from the dinner on social media Tuesday, captioning it: “Dinner with Senators and their spouses Bahay Pangulo, Manila.”
Escudero confirmed that Senator Grace Poe was also present but arrived after the group photo was taken. The photo posted by Mrs. Marcos showed Senators Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Bong Revilla, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, Mark Villar, Jinggoy Estrada, Cynthia Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Koko Pimentel, JV Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Migz Zubiri, Loren Legarda, and Robinhood Padilla.