"Salute," featuring Cabinet members Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, Interior Secretary Jose Lina and Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani "BF" Fernando, had been postponed last month due to the Middle East war jitters, and they seemed to have made up for the delay by giving an encore for their special guest.
A visibly amused Mrs. Arroyo got a repeat of the song-and-dance "Oldies Song" medley by the amateur singing triumvirate, two of whom met with her three hours before the 9 p.m. curtain call to tackle matters of national import.
Reyes and Lina are part of the Cabinet Oversight Committee on Internal Security that discussed the latest terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte Sunday.
The President arrived at 11:30 p.m. at the Manila Hotel Fiesta Pavilion escorted by her husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who had arrived much earlier for the dinner concert and watched the entire show.
Reyes was singing the Marco Sison hit "My Love Will See You Through" when Mrs. Arroyo walked in.
Lina, before he did "Prayer for the Nation" with his wife Lorrie and their six children, acknowledged the presence of the President as cameras panned towards the presidential table where US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, and show producer Beth Sison-Tagle were also seated.
"Ma’am, you missed the dance number of Angie a la Elvis Presley," Lina informed his boss, referring to the gyrations done by Reyes with two male dancers of Hot Legs while singing the Elvis Presley hit "Wooden Heart."
Fernando led the extro song number of the concert by first doing the solo vocal for his own adaptation of "Saan Ka Man Naroroon," which he turned into a patriotic anthem by replacing some of the lyrics to remind Filipinos that they have a nation called Pilipinas wherever they are.
Donning white-tailed tuxedos, the three singing men capped the night with a choral rendition of "Pilipinas Kong Mahal" with their respective families, as dancers pranced around them waving Philippine flags.
Lina then went down stage to fetch Mrs. Arroyo and led her to join them in the singing.