Statement of Atty. Liza Araneta-Marcos, wife of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is recuperating at home and not in Singapore, his wife lawyer Liza Araneta-Marcos said in a statement.
The wife of the former senator dispelled rumors circulating in social media that her husband is suffering pneumonia after arriving from a trip from Spain and was immediately intubated in a Metro Manila hospital. The reports also said that he was rushed to Singapore, accompanying him were his sister, Imee, and their 90-year old mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos.
“Contrary to the rumors circulating, my husband is well. His lungs did not collapse,” Araneta-Marcos said. The statement was accompanied by a photo of the late dictator’s only son sitting on his bed while holding a copy of today’s newspaper.
She also denied that her husband was airlifted using Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Chavit Singson’s plane to seek treatment in Singapore.
“He is not dying nor is he dead,” she said.
The late dictator’s only son himself also denied this, saying he is recuperating well at home.
“I am deeply touched and overwhelmed by your concern over my condition. Don’t worry, I am doing ok and contrary to popular belief, I am home on self-quarantine,” Marcos said in a statement accompanied by the same photo that his wife used in hers.
Araneta-Marcos said that she, her husband along with her children and their staff were tested for the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19).
“Yesterday, we had ourselves and our entire staff tested for COVID-19. Fortunately we tested negative,” she said.
Statement of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
Her husband, however, contradicted her statement saying he has yet to receive the results but did not specify what test he underwent.
The losing 2016 vice presidential candidate’s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, also said they are still waiting for the result of her brother’s COVID-19 test.
“He came from Spain unwell. Finally got a test two nights ago, getting better at home, but there is no result yet,” the senator said in a text message of mixed Filipino and English.
While the Marcoses get tested and had their results after only 24 hours, ordinary citizens reportedly had to wait for days to get their results.
Others, unfortunately, die not knowing their results like the case of 34-year-old cardiology fellow Dr. Israel Bactol of the Philippine Heart Center whose testing was delayed for four days to make way to the testing of 34 government officials and their families as reported by the Inquirer.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said individuals with exposure to COVID-19-positive patients and those who had recent travel to countries with confirmed local transmission are qualified to get tested. It is not clear if Bongbong Marcos’ wife, their children and employees were with him on his trip to Spain to merit the testing.
Spain has one of the highest recorded deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic with 3,647 deaths, pushing it above China in total fatalities. According to data from the COVID-19 tracker of the Johns Hopkins University, Spain has 49,515 confirmed cases, the fourth in the world, behind China, Italy and the United States. (Rommel F. Lopez)