Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo clarified that celebrities who joined President Rodrigo Duterte’s trip to Russia paid for themselves.
Online reactions were trigerred after an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Moscow shared selfies wih formerTourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer Cesar Montano, Phillip Salvador, and Moymoy Palaboy.
“With regard to the showbiz who are here, as far as I know, when they entertain the Filipino community while waiting for the arrival of the President, they are not paid,” Panelo said in a statement sent to reporters.
Panelo added that the celebrities on Duterte’s trip have been doing it since the campaign and they are rabid Duterte supporters.
“They have been doing that during the presidential campaign.They just happen to be genuine and rabid fans of PRRD,” he said. (TT)