Pangilinan on photo with Marcos: I attended in support of PH cinema

Metro Manila, Philippines - Former Senator Francis Pangilinan said on Tuesday, Dec. 17, that a viral photo of him and wife actress Sharon Cuneta with the president and first lady was in support of the film industry - nothing more.

Cuneta posted on Instagram a photo of them with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos in Malacañang for a concert in Malacañang at the weekend.

“I attended the concert in support of the local film industry upon the invitation of Malacañang and to accompany my wife, Sharon, considered by many as one of the pillars of the nation’s film industry,” Pangilinan, an opposition leader, wrote in a social media post.

“Showing up to support and appreciate the initiatives of Malacañang that we ourselves support and advocate does not mean we have abandoned our principles,” he said.

The former senator thanked Malacañang for backing Philippine cinema.

He also shared that he supports the administration’s decision to ban offshore gaming and its position in defending sovereignty amid Chinese aggressions in the West Philippine Sea.

While some social media users were happy with Cuneta’s post, others criticized it.

“Mga walang prinsipyo at paninindigan [You have no principles and stand],” a commenter said.

“This is so confusing,” another user said, tagging the Instagram account of Pangilinan.

“Now is the time for healing, reconciliation and unity for our motherland,” another one said.

“It proved that everything is in [God’s] perfect time. Life is too short and moving forward is the best thing we need to do,” an Instagram user said.

During the 2022 presidential election, Pangilinan’s running mate former Vice President Leni Robredo lost to Marcos.