Marcos misses ASEAN-Japan photo op but present in meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malacañang Palace confirmed on Monday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. missed the photo opportunity when members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met with Japan Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae.

In a press briefing here, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said that Marcos was not able to participate in the photo op as he was engaged with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for an extended period.

“The President was present at the said occasion, [and] the President was [in] Japan [Summit],” she explained.

Official footage uploaded by Radio-Television Malacañang and distributed by Malaysia's national public broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia show Marcos present in the event.

Marcos-Guterres meeting

In a social media post, Marcos detailed his meeting with the UN Secretary-General discussing key areas of cooperation.

“We reaffirmed our commitment to preserving peace and stability, economic growth, social development and equality,” he said.

Marcos emphasized that the Philippines will continue to do its part in being a champion of climate action and a reliable partner of the UN.

“We both looked forward to fostering bilateral cooperation and UN’s continued support to ASEAN and the ASEAN-UN framework,” he said.