Various groups lambasted the unannounced trip of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to Singapore over the weekend.

Over the weekend, Marcos Jr. was seen together with his son Ilocos 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez watching the F1 Grand Prix, a high-class international racing event.

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes said Marcos’ trip was “insensitive, unnecessary and irresponsible“ as the country still faces inflation, looming government debt of Php 13 trillion, and many Filipinos are still recovering from the impact of typhoon Karding onslaught.

“So why does the President think it’s okay to take a private jet to Singapore to watch the return of the F1 Grand Prix? How much are the Filipino taxpayers paying for this trip? How much did the Filipino taxpayers pay for the Presidential entourage’s stay at the Carlyle Hotel in New York?“ he added.

Reyes pointed out that since Marcos returned to Malacañang, there has been one party after another.

“The jet-setting lifestyle is incompatible with the Office of the President. The people demand a concrete response to the economic crisis, not a partying president,“ he claimed.

For labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), the Singapore trip was an “insult“ to workers and citizens.

“Hindi pa nga nakakabangon ang mga nasalanta ng Bagyong Karding kung saan may nagbuwis ng buhay na mga rescuers at maraming magsasakang nasalanta ang pananim, at habang patuloy ang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin at pamasahe at mababa pa rin ang sahod ng mga manggagawa, anong inaatupag ni Marcos Jr? Ang panonood ng F1 Grand Prix sa Singapore,“ the group said.

KMU also stressed that while the country is in the middle of a crisis, the President seemed to prioritize partying and going to events.

“Malapit na ang 100 days mo sa pwesto, Jr., pero hanggang ngayon ay wala kaming naririnig na kongkretong plano para solusyonan ang krisis. Nananatili ka ring bingi at bulag sa panawagan ng mamamayan at manggagawa para sa pambansang nakabubuhay na sahod at pagwawakas sa kontraktwalisasyon. Mahiya ka naman,“ the group said.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles confirmed on Sunday the unannounced trip.

She described it as a “productive visit“ for Marcos strengthened the talk discussed in his recent state visit to Singapore, and continued in encouraging them to invest in the Philippines.