Angeles’ quote was picked up by a number of news outlets, notably ABS-CBN News, the Manila Bulletin, and the Daily Guardian.
Claim: US President Joe Biden agreed to meet only Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Rating: FALSE
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles on Thursday (New York time) erroneously claimed that only President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was granted a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden at the sidelines of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“I understand a lot of requests had been made to the US President — that it is significant that he spoke only with President Marcos on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly,” she told reporters covering Marcos in New York.
Biden did meet with Marcos on Sept. 22, and in fact, tweeted about it.
But the American leader also met with UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, French President Emmanuel Macron, President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan on Sept. 21, also at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, as shown by readouts released by the White House.
A senior Biden official in fact gave an overview of Biden’s meetings at the sidelines of the UN assembly, including the sit-down with Marcos, in an on-background press briefing on Sept. 21.
The transcript of the briefing was posted on the White House website and indicated that all the bilateral meetings were known to journalists covering Biden.
Angeles’ quote was picked up by a number of news outlets, notably ABS-CBN News, the Manila Bulletin, and the Daily Guardian.
Angeles later clarified her statement and apologized for the “small confusion” it caused.
She claimed that Biden’s Sept. 21 meetings were previously arranged, unlike the bilateral with Marcos.
“Tanging ang request na makipagpulong ni Pangulong Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. kay US President Joe Biden ang napaunlakan sa sidelines ng United Nations General Assembly. Marami pong ibang nakiusap nguni’t ang napagbigyan lamang ay ang kahilingan ng bansang Pilipinas. Kung kaya’t kita ang kahalagahan ng miting na ito ng dalawang lider,” she said.
“Ang ibang mga meeting ni Pangulong Biden ay mga dati nang napagkasunduan, pero na postpone at itinuloy na lamang sa pagkakataon na ito.”
“Ipagpaunmanhin nawa ang kaunting kalituhan sa naunang statement,” she said.
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