MANILA, Philippines?So that probably explains it!
As a band played on, President Benigno Aquino III whipped up his own kind of storm at the Palace Tuesday night?at about the same time Typhoon ?Basyang? (international codename: Conson) veered closer toward Metro Manila, contrary to forecasts.
Barely two weeks into office, Mr Aquino hosted a getting-to-know-you dinner for the Malacaang Press Corps (MPC) and, after briefly leaving the table to get a weather update, capped the evening by singing a couple of songs.
?This might end up in YouTube, huh?? the bachelor Chief Executive said in jest after ?jamming? with the reporters, some of whom also sang their hearts out, on a rainy night that saw their VIP subject dropping all formalities and whooping it up with his guests.
The 50-year-old President treated around 60 MPC members to a buffet dinner at Heroes Hall, a first since he assumed office on June 30.
The menu included sotanghon guisado, pandan rice, grilled gindara and squid, prawns, beef kare-kare, lechon, white salad, and leche flan and fruits for dessert.
Mr. Aquino arrived in a black polo shirt just before 7 p.m. and shared the main table with press corps officers, who then took the opportunity to do a free-flowing interview, as a band played love songs in the background.
After about an hour of chatter, the President excused himself and, before leaving the table, teased Assistant Press Secretary Rey Marfil into singing a song for the MPC?a presidential directive which Marfil politely dodged.
?Bikining Itim?
When he came back, Mr. Aquino gamely posed for pictures with reporters, TV crew members and photographers with the presidential seal as backdrop.
It didn?t take long before the reporters started clamoring for the President himself to take the microphone and jam with the 8-Track Band, the night?s guest musicians.
He initially begged off, but soon he was humming along particularly when TV reporter Weng dela Fuente of Net 25 sang The Carpenters? ?I Won?t Last a Day Without You.?
Later, he shouted ?Idol! Idol!? as George Cario of ABS-CBN performed Side A Band?s ?Tuloy Pa Rin.?
The night?s impromptu crooners also included Philippine Daily Inquirer photographer Edwin Bacasmas. ?Is he singing ?Bikining Itim?? the President joked, referring to a popular novelty song about a man?s closet fetish.
At around 8:20 p.m., Mr. Aquino excused himself again, this time purportedly to get updates on Basyang.
?Of All the Things?
It was when he returned to the table that the band members finally got him to sing.
The hall erupted in cheers as the President?whose karaoke skills were first put to test during his post-inaugural street party?tried his vocal chops on the Dennis Lambert ballad ?Of All The Things.?
The crowd demanded more, but Mr. Aquino replied: ?Thank you, [but] the last time you asked me to sing, I was peppered with criticism by five columnists.?
For the requested encore, he chose the Filipino classic ?Handog,? a song of nostalgia and thanksgiving by Florante.
Mr. Aquino left at around 10 p.m.?just as Basyang began pummeling the metropolis and cutting power throughout most of Luzon.
