Some allies of President Rodrigo Duterte at the House of Representatives came together for a belated birthday party for him over the weekend.
The party was held at the the Malago Lounge, Malacañang Park on Saturday evening.
The seven-course, Japanese-inspired dinner was organized by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and his wife Wes, chairperson of the Pilipinong May Puso Foundation.
Duterte blew the candles on a three-tier, Philippine flag-inspired birthday cake that bore the seal of the Office of the President, and even sang "Ikaw" during the party.
Velasco—whose family celebrated Christmas with the Dutertes last year—said Saturday's "intimate dinner" was attended by "a few friends" to celebrate "friendship and a common love for the country."
Velasco told GMA News Online the dinner was their opportunity, "before the observance of Holy Week, to greet the President good health and show their support for his continuing campaign against drugs and crime."
Among some 50 guests were lawmakers led by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go, and some local government officials including actor Richard Gomez, now mayor of Ormoc City.
Also at the party were actor Robin Padilla, who was granted absolute pardon late last year; and businessman Ramon Ang, who Duterte had claimed was a donor to his campaign even though the latter's name does not appear on the official list submitted to the Commission on Elections.
According to Velasco, the President—who turned 72 last March 28—talked about how "narco-politics is deeply embedded in our local government units and he is not afraid to face this challenge head-on to clean our society of drugs."
"The President also mentioned that PNP Director General Bato has made a significant inroad in the anti-drug campaign and enjoined everyone to support the PNP," he added.
Despite this message, the President did not have any orders for the lawmakers who attended the party, Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said.
"Casual lang, sobrang casual lang," Herrera-Dy told GMA News Online in a phone interview. "Dinner lang, kuwentuhan lang. It was really a casual affair."
Asked about Duterte's message, she echoed Velasco's statement that the President talked about the war against drugs.
Herrera-Dy added that the President spoke about his "frustrations" over corruption in government, as well as the possible lowering of age of criminal liability.
"Pero wala naman siyang pinukpok sa amin na dapat naming gawin. May mga kuwento lang siya, pero he didn't ask anything from us naman," she added.
Those who attended the party are among some 267 members of the House supermajority, a coalition counted on to push the President's legislative agenda in the lower chamber.
SOURCE: GMA
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