At least five close friends of President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos have come to their defense, belying claims made by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio that the First Couple had any ties with a group of Chinese investors in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), which he tried to substantiate with a group photo reportedly taken at a restaurant.
DEBUNKED – Presidential Special Envoy to China Benny Techico holds a press conference on Monday, August 26, 2024, at a mall in Pasay City to belie insinuations made by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio that President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos had ties with some POGO personalities, based on a group photo taken four years ago.
“Malicious,” said Noel Patrick Prudente of the intent to show that the group photo meant the First Couple was close friends with the Chinese POGO investors.
Along with four other close friends of the Marcoses, Prudente dismissed the photo as no more than the Marcoses “happily giving in to these kinds of public affection, regardless of social stature and affiliation”.
“These Chinese customers requested a picture with us, and our then non-candidate BBM and FL (and Us Eating Foodie Friends). Even waiters and waitresses requested pictures with us,” said Ricky Alfonso, a former undersecretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) who has known the President for “close to 50 years”.
Renowned chef Sandy Daza, who was at far right of the photo, recalled that they were “eating at Hao-Hao restaurant, and there were some Chinese who asked if (they) could take a photo with our group.”
“Of course, PBBM obliged,” Daza said. “After the picture was taken, they left the table.”
Daza is the younger brother of the late Bong Daza, who is known to be one of the closest friends of the President.
Benny Techico, the President’s special envoy to China, was also at the gathering, and was included in the group photo.
“That was 2020 right after the (Covid-19) lockdown. Those Chinese (were) introduced to us by the host to take a picture with PBBM. After photo opp, they left, and we continued (with our meal),” Techico said.
Also present at the gathering were former world shooting champion Jethro Dionisio and Pepe Ortega from La Union.
Both said they knew the President for decades, and dismissed the supposed meet-up of then citizen Marcos with the Chinese as a simple case of admirers wanting to have their photo taken with their idols.
Alfonso charged that the person who reposted the photo on his thread with “malicious naughtiness of placing his/her own spin on the picture”.
“And to recall, we even thought then that the alleged ‘Ong’ beside FL in the picture was a receptionist of the restaurant,” he added.
Alfonso may have been referring to Cassandra Ong, who is the client of Topacio.
At the Pandesal Forum on Monday, Aug. 26, Topacio showed a photo of the First Couple together with some POGO personalities, including Ong, Topacio's client who is currently in the custody of the House of Representatives.