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Monday, January 22, 2007
Arroyo booed at Il Divo concert
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was booed and heckled twice by the audience during the Il Divo concert at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Saturday.
The incident was the subject of text messages that circulated Sunday.
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The text messages said Arroyo was booed the first time because she arrived late for the start of the group's concert. The second time she was allegedly booed was at the end of the concert when the audience was asked to remain seated -- as the protocol in events where she is present -- until after the President has left the hall.
But the crowd hastily stood up and started booing loudly while leaving the hall ahead of the visibly irritated President.
Press materials issued prior to the event stated that the concert at the PICC Plenary Hall on January 20 was supposed to start at 8 p.m.
A member of the audience clarified that Arroyo arrived at 9 p.m. and that the first booing happened when the crowd was told earlier on before the show that the concert was going to be delayed because the organizers were waiting for the President to arrive.
When Arroyo arrived, nobody stood up in customary greeting to the President.
The second booing -- although it was not as loud as reported -- happened when the crowd was told to remain in their seats until Arroyo has left.
"It was more of derision rather than outrage, because she was already an hour late and then she wanted us to wait again for her to leave," another present during the concert said.
Colonel Romeo Prestoza, Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander, said he was not present during the concert but was told that the President was on time. He said Arroyo left Malacañang at 8 p.m. and arrived at 8:30 p.m., which is supposedly the start of the performance.
Prestoza said the President was not heckled by the crowd, but only perhaps by a few people who "do not understand protocol or have different political beliefs."
He said the concert proper ended at 10 p.m. and the President was back in Malacañang at 10:26 p.m.
The operatic group Il Divo is composed of American tenor David Miller, French tenor Sebastien Izambard, Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, and Spanish baritone Carlos Marin.
Their third album, "Siempre," was released on November 27 and it features Il Divo's takes on classics including "Somewhere." Also featured are four brand new tracks: "Come Primavera," "La Vida Sin Amor," "Una Noche," and "Tell That To My Heart."
Saturday's incident was not the first time that Arroyo was booed during a concert. She was also heckled when she attended Mandy Moore's concert at The Fort in Taguig during the election period in 2004, when she ran for President.
The President, who then clad in black, was loudly booed by the youth during the concert as she spoke and announced the granting of a citation for the singer. She attended a wake somewhere in Makati City afterwards. (JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (January 22, 2007 issue)
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