President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos welcomed a group of senators and their spouses to a dinner at the Bahay Pangulo on Monday evening.
The intimate gathering, as shared by the First Lady through a Facebook post, was attended by a number of notable lawmakers including Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, Mark Villar, Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Escudero, Cynthia Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Loren Legarda, and Robin Padilla.
Several of the senators in attendance are currently running under the “Bagong Pilipinas” senatorial slate, which includes Pia Cayetano, Lapid, Tolentino, Revilla, and Imee Marcos.
Notably, Senators Grace Poe, Risa Hontiveros, Bong Go, and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa were not seen in the photograph shared by the First Lady. Poe clarified that she had attended the dinner but arrived late for the group picture, while Imee Marcos stated her office did not receive an invitation and thus she did not attend the event.
The dinner occurred on the same day as the Iglesia ni Cristo’s National Rally for Peace at the Quirino Grandstand. Despite the rally’s support for President Marcos’ opposition to the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, its leaders emphasized that the event was non-political. According to police reports, the rally attracted 1.5 million participants.
As per the 1987 Constitution, the Senate serves as an impeachment court for impeached officials, a significant element in the ongoing political landscape.
