MANILA: Benigno Aquino survived an assassination attempt during his struggle to the top of bare-knuckle politics, but there is one foe he cannot beat: Flowers.
Aquino’s spokeswoman Abigail Valte said yesterday the 53-year-old was taking a sick day due to his allergy to flowers. “He has an adverse reaction when he is exposed to flowers at close proximity,” Valte told reporters.
“He is feeling under the weather. He will instead remain in Manila to take a bit of rest.”
Valte said Aquino suffered an allergy attack on Tuesday after attending a police ceremony, where many floral decorations were set up.
Aquino had a similar allergic reaction during a state visit to Australia last year, when he was forced to miss a function.
The situation is so serious that floral arrangements at the presidential palace are kept at “strategic places” to prevent them from setting off the president’s allergy.
The bachelor president, also a shooting enthusiast, is regarded as one of Philippine politics’ ultimate survivors.
His father was shot dead in 1983 at Manila airport as he returned from exile to lead the democracy movement against dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The son was hit by five bullets when rebel soldiers mounted a coup attempt against his mother, then-president Corazon Aquino, in 1987. Three of Aquino’s security guards were killed. He still has one of the bullets stuck in his neck.
Patrol boats arrive from US
MANILA: Six US-made riverine patrol boats by aluminium vessel manufacturer Silver Ships arrived yesterday at the Philippine Marine headquarters. The brand new 40-foot vessels were transferred to the country under the Foreign Military Sales program through which the US government facilitated the procurement of the items for the Navy.
Agencies
