Liza Marcos shrugs off Chong’s slap threat: ‘Hayaan mo na siya’

MANILA, Philippines — First Lady Liza Marcos brushed off former Biliran representative Glenn Chong’s threat to slap her, saying she hopes he wins the position he is running for.

During a pro-Apollo Quiboloy prayer rally in Manila last March, Chong said he would slap the First Lady. This sparked condemnation from fellow lawmakers, who told Chong to apologize publicly.

READ: Ex-solon Chong urged to apologize for slap remarks on first lady

“My first reaction was, ‘You are an officer of the court?’” said the first lady in a mix of English and Filipino.

“You know, they say you’re the size of your enemy? Hayaan mo na siya (Let him be). I hope he wins, for I don’t know what, for congressman, governor, or whatever,” said Marcos.

Chong was involved in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s election protest against former Vice President Leni Robredo. Robredo beat Marcos in the 2016 national elections by a narrow lead, leading to a years-long election protest from the Marcos camp.

TIMELINE: The 4-year Robredo-Marcos poll case

Although initially on Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s side during the 2016 electoral protest, Chong now alleges that the President cheated during the 2022 elections.

READ: Marcos camp says Glenn Chong not part of its legal team in poll protest

In a Facebook post in September 2023, Chong alleged that Liza Marcos met with Smartmatic President Roger Piñate during the height of the 2022 elections.

“Then he says we cheated. Pero nandoon siya noong counting. Nandoon siya; he was part of our election team. So why do you wait one year to say we cheated?” said Marcos.

(Then he says we cheated. But he was there when we were counting; he was part of our election team. So why did you wait one year to say we cheated?)