President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has defended the practice of law enforcers taking selfies with former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, saying that it has become a common practice in today’s digital age.
Marcos issued the remarks in a chance interview with Malacañang reporters on Friday, September 6, after senators called out several officials who posed for a selfie picture with the dismissed mayor.
The photo, which has been widely circulated on social media, sparked concerns about the president’s association with Guo, who has been accused of impropriety and receiving special treatment from the government.
“I think that is part of the new culture now na nagpapakuha lagi ng kahit ano kasi ipo-post nila — ‘tingnan mo, oh, kasama ako sa team na umaresto sa ganyan, ganyan,” Marcos told Palace reporters in Antipolo, Rizal.
“Ang tawag natin sa Pilipinas we are the Selfie Capital of the World, ‘di ba? ‘Di nag-selfie. Hindi mo naman mapigilan ang tao na ngumiti. So they just had a selfie. I don’t think there’s much more to it than that — nagpa-selfie sila,” he added.
A photo featuring Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil with Guo, who is making a V sign, sparked negative reactions online after her arrest in Indonesia. Additionally, another image of Guo with government agents also faced criticism.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros recently took to social media to voice her disapproval of the photos, reminding government officials that Guo is not a celebrity but a fugitive facing human trafficking charges. Sen. Joel Villanueva also criticized the officials for the images, describing them as highly “unprofessional.”
“We want answers, not a photoshoot. Matapos nyang makipagtaguan sa batas, ginawa namang fan-meet nitong si Alice Guo ang pagkakaaresto niya. Kulang na lang, red carpet,” Hontiveros said in a press statement Thursday.
“Hindi dapat ginagawang social event ang pag-aresto sa isang puganteng sangkot sa patong-patong na kaso ng human trafficking, money laundering, fake identity, gross misconduct, illegal recruitment and detention, at corruption,” she added.
In a separate interview, Abalos stated that he was unaware of Guo’s candid pose in the viral photo, which he claimed was intended for documentation purposes.
He said that he was unaware that Guo was posing candidly when the photo was being taken.
“This kind of photos, basta nakaharap ang ganyan, you cannot tell ano na nga nasa tabi mo, etc. At kamukha na sinabi ko, etong photo nito ay offshoot of that meeting na kanyang dino-document na. And I really do not know, anong pinagagagawa niya nagpo-pose siya ng ganoon,” Abalos said.
“I hope, sabi ko nga, sana maunwaan ng mga kababayan. It was never a selfie na nagpa-selfie ganyan, ganyan. This is taken habang nag-usap kayo about things na sinasabi ka sa akin,” he added. (TCSP)
