Marcos hosts 'casual dinner' for senators in Malacañang
![President Ferdinand](https://images.gmanews.tv/webpics/2023/08/364795526_838592260971749_5737231378246788531_n_2023_08_03_11_50_18.jpg)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. hosted a "casual dinner" for senators in Malacañang on Wednesday night, as topics such as flooding, agriculture, and the West Philippine Sea were discussed.
“We had a very casual and cordial dinner meeting with the President mostly just to catch up and bond with the members of the Senate. Several topics were discussed from the current flooding to agriculture and even about the West Philippine Sea,” said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
The dinner took place in Bahay ng Pangulo inside Malacañang.
“Overall, it was a very relaxed mood and the senators just wanted to catch up with the President,” Zubiri said.
In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Zubiri said they will brief Marcos about Senate Resolution 718 which condemns China’s continued harassment of Filipino fishermen in the WPS.
“The President is well aware of the stand of the senate on the WPS issue and respects the sense of the Senate regarding this issue,” Zubiri said after the dinner with Marcos.
”We reported that the resolution was discussed together with Secretary Manalo so that we’re [on] the same page with the Executive. We didn’t dwell much on that topic as we wanted to keep the dinner a cordial and casual get together,” he added.
Zubiri posted a photo of Marcos with the senators on his Facebook page on Thursday. Not present in the picture were minority Senators Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros. Senator Chiz Escudero was also not in the picture.
The dinner happened the same day Marcos met with former President Rodrigo Duterte who briefed him about the latter’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China.
According to Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil, Duterte went to see Marcos "to talk to him about his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China." —VAL, GMA Integrated News