Philippines President Criticised for Using Official Helicopter to Skip Traffic Jam to Coldplay Concert

After rocking out at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium to a record-breaking attendance in November last year, British alternative-rock band Coldplay continued its Music of The Spheres World Tour in other ASEAN countries, most recently headlining the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, the Philippines on Friday (19 January).

However, that particular show became infamous in the country after the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his family were criticised by the country’s citizens for using the official helicopter to attend the concert.

 

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Photos of the official helicopter being used by Marcos and his family have since flooded social media, with Filipinos calling such an action a waste of taxpayers’ money and misusing national assets for their own personal benefit.

One such post criticising Marcos was by X user @ishyungshi who shared a photo of the official helicopter outside the Philippine Arena indoor stadium and asserted,

“Bongbong Marcos rode a helicopter on the way to Coldplay concert. Are these our taxes…”

As reported by Reuters, the President’s Security Group in a statement clarified that Marcos used the official helicopter due to “unforeseen traffic complications along the route”.

Meanwhile, in a post on the Philippine Star Facebook page, two photos from the Instagram Story by Philippines First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos were shared, showing Marcos, Liza and their son William Vincent enjoying the Coldplay concert and praising frontman Christ Martin for his stellar performance.

In the replies to the X post by @ishyungshi, many Filipino netizens weren’t impressed by the antics of Marcos’ family. One commenter said that the President and his family are giving out “Marie Antoinette” vibes, the last queen of France who was overthrown by the French Revolution due to her lavish lifestyle at the expense of the people.

Another commenter sarcastically said that there goes 1 billion Philippine Pesos of the country’s budget right there, while another commenter joked that the family misses riding on a helicopter, that’s why they took the chopper to the concert.

Besides that, one commenter also sarcastically said that citizens shouldn’t be jealous of the President and his family’s good life.

Elected as the Philippines President last year, Marcos Jr is the son of Ferdinand Marcos, the former Philippines President who was removed from power by the 1986 People Power Revolution due to allegations of mass cheating, political turmoil and human rights abuses.

So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Also read: Coldplay’s Show in Bukit Jalil Brings in 75K Fans & is Officially the Most-Attended Concert at the Stadium