Palace slams criticism of Duterte's birthday party photographs
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang defended President Rodrigo Duterte over photos and a video that surfaced of his 76th birthday celebration on Sunday.
"I don’t think the President ever pretended to be poor. He has always been known as simple. That is why he did not have guests on his birthday," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.
To recall, photos of the chief executive sharing a meal with his family at home were shared by a senator online. The same photographs showed Duterte, wearing a shirt and shorts, blowing out a candle placed on top of a cup of rice.
However, a separate video that circulated on social media later on showed that the dinner table was actually laden with food, including lechon, a type of meat usually saved for special occasions.
"Acting poor for your birthday photo ops when you're not really poor is just mocking those who truly have nothing to put on their tables for their own birthdays," Rep. Ferdinand Gaite (Bayan Muna) tweeted Sunday night.
Duterte, who once described himself as a “poor man’s child,” held the image of being a simple man living a frugal lifestyle during his campaign for the presidency.
The video also later captures the president attempting to grope one of his household helpers in her lower body, presumably in jest.
In response to widespread criticism on social media, Roque came to the president's defense, denying there was an image being portrayed and that the president was simply being authentic.
Speaking in an interview aired over ANC on Monday morning, the Malacañang spokesman blasted the president's critics for what he said was their "crab mentality."
"There may have been food served for special occasions, but that did not violate any sense of decency. There was no extravagant show of wealth because the president was in t-shirt and shorts and celebrated only with his family," he said.
"It’s really crab mentality for anyone to suggest that the president was pretending. No, the President never pretends, he is known for his authenticity. He has simple celebrations and I think that’s what happened on his birthday," he added.
— Franco Luna
Sen. Bong Go, the president's longtime special assistant, frequently releases photos to the media of President Rodrigo Duterte eating simple meals at neighborhood bakeries and at fastfood outlets.
This is a thread for those posts and media releases, which media often picks up and writes stories about.
It has since emerged that the president's "kanin cake" was part of a larger spread, which included and actual cake that also had a candle on top.
Also served at the birthday dinner was lechon, or roast pig and that is usually served at special celebrations.
RELATED STORY: Palace slams criticism of Duterte's birthday party photographs
There have been calls in both chambers of Congress to declare a national emergency over African Swine Flu, which has tightened the supply of pork in the Philippines. This has caused an increase in pork prices, which the government is trying to curb through price controls in the National Capital Region.
Pork prices have also been rising outside Metro Manila.
President Rordigo Duterte has asked Congress to raise the import quota on pork by 350,000 metric tons to address the shortage in supply.
President Rodrigo Duterte had a rice cake — not a bibingka, but a cup of rice with a candle stuck on top — to mark his 76th birthday, according to pictures released by Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go to media.
Senator Bong Go on Sunday shared photos of President Rodrigo Duterte blowing a candle during his 76th birthday. (Facebook/Christopher Bong Go) pic.twitter.com/DxHsoy2PHY
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) March 28, 2021
It is unclear if Go was at Duterte's birthday meal, but the celebration was supposed to be "strictly family", according to a The STAR report that quoted an anonymous source.
"Strictly family. And very limited (are) those who will be allowed to mingle with him on his birthday," The STAR report quotes the source as saying.
Rice cakes — actual cakes made of rice — are a popular delicacy across the Philippines, with bibingka and puto being among the most commonly available.
Puto Maya, a rice cake made of sticky rice and coconut milk, "is a Cebuano and Davaoeño favorite that’s usually eaten with fresh mangoes and hot tsokolate eh," Spot.PH writes.
Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go, the president's long-time aide, has posted a photo of President Rodrigo Duterte in response to speculation on chat groups that he had left the country, a rumor that the Palace also addressed on Sunday.
Inilabas ni Sen. Bong Go ang larawan ni Pres. Duterte kasama ang kanyang pamilya sa Davao. pic.twitter.com/hhXh8MT36q
— News5 (@News5PH) August 17, 2020
It is unclear from the photo what the president is eating, but the selection includes sausages, a platter of fruits, and a bowl of what could be humba, a braised pork dish popular in the Visayas.
According to food and recipes website Yummy.ph, Davao has its own version of humba, which is "a popular dish served during fiestas and special occasions."
The president previously said in an interview on Rappler that his preferred breakfast includes buwad, or sun-dried fish.
Photos shared by Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go over the weekend show President Rodrigo Duterte eating at what is described as his "favorite carinderia" in Davao City.
The term carinderia for the ubiquitous roadside eateries is believed to have come from "kari," the Tagalog term for curry and related to the Filipino dish kare-kare.
The late writer and cultural historian Doreen Fernandez wrote however, that the name is a Spanish formulation of the original name "karihan" that she said was "from kari, cooked food."
LOOK: President Duterte enjoys breakfast earlier at his favorite karinderia in his home province, Davao City. (Photos courtesy of Bong Go) pic.twitter.com/5BkyCDA6ty
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) January 25, 2020
In 2018, the Tourism Promotions Board and the Department of Tourism launched "Buhay Carinderia...Redefined", a program that was meant to "improve the carinderia's image, help the entrepreneurs behind them and present their unique style of cooking to a wider audience."
The program, according to an April 19, 2018 BusinessWorld report on the project, would have included mentoring for culinary arts students and a rating system similar to the Michelin guide.
The project was put on hold and eventually scrapped due to questions on how it was awarded to an organizer without the required public bidding.
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