PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has canceled his planned visit to the United States, not due to security threats but to prioritize pressing issues at home, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro clarified that the National Security Council reported no direct threats to the President’s life, apart from a past remark by Vice President Sara Duterte.
“There is no direct threat to the President’s life, but authorities will not be complacent in ensuring his security,” Castro said in a Palace briefing.
Marcos was initially set to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York from September 22 to 30.
However, he opted to stay in the country to address concerns over alleged anomalies in flood control projects, rising prices of basic goods, and other urgent national issues.
Castro said Marcos wants to personally monitor the establishment of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to ensure swift action on reports of corruption in flood control projects.
She also dismissed speculation that the President skipped the UN trip because of the anti-corruption rallies scheduled for September 21, saying protests are part of democracy and even welcomed by Marcos.
“The President is not worried because he knows the protests are about fighting corruption. He himself initiated the probe into the anomalous projects,” Castro said.
She added that Marcos views those joining the protests as allies in his anti-corruption campaign. “As he said, if he were not President, he would likely be among those protesting,” she noted.
