First Lady not joining Marcos in US trip - Palace

First Lady Liza Marcos will not be accompanying President Marcos on his official visit to Washington next week, according to the Palace.

- By HELEN FLORES

In an interview with True FM, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro yesterday confirmed that the First Lady would not be part of the President's delegation.

"Hindi po," Castro replied when asked, without offering further explanation. Malacañang earlier confirmed Marcos' official visit to Washington from July 20 to 22.

The Palace has yet to release details about the trip and the President's scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump, which was first announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This will be Marcos' fifth visit to the United States since assuming office in 2022, and his first since Trump's election in November last year.

Among those confirmed to be part of the delegation is Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, Castro added.

This is not the first time that the First Lady has skipped a US visit. She was also absent during the President's visit to Washington in April last year for a trilateral meeting with then US president Joe Biden and then Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida.

Her upcoming absence, however, comes amid a swirl of online speculation linking her to the death of Rustan's executive Paolo Tantoco, who passed away in Beverly Hills in March.

Describing the police report circulating online as "fake," the Palace slammed what she called a deliberate attempt to malign the First Lady using fabricated police documents.