Philippine Ambassador Romualdez to Attend Donald Trump Inauguration
PBBM – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was reportedly not invited to the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, 2025.
Philippine Ambassador to the United States, Jose Manuel Romualdez, has confirmed that he will attend the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. Romualdez clarified that only ambassadors from countries with diplomatic representation in Washington, DC, were invited to the event at the US Capitol, not heads of state. When asked if Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received an invitation, Romualdez explained that no head of state was typically invited, as it was standard practice for only ambassadors to attend.
In November 2024, following Trump’s victory in securing a second term as US President, President Marcos called to personally congratulate him. During their phone conversation, Trump inquired about the health of Marcos’ mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, expressing his well wishes. Marcos shared that Trump had known his mother well and had asked, “How is Imelda?” He relayed this to his mother, who sent her greetings in return.
According to GMA News, the conversation also included a discussion on the alliance between the Philippines and the United States. Marcos expressed his continued desire to strengthen the bilateral relationship, emphasizing its deep-rooted nature due to the long history of ties between the two nations.
Trump, who served as the 45th US President from 2016 to 2020, lost his reelection bid to Joe Biden in 2020. However, he contested the results of the election, which led to the January 6 insurrection, where rioters clashed with law enforcement officers at the US Capitol. Despite these controversies, Trump made a political comeback in November 2024, winning the presidency once again after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. His second-term victory marked the continuation of his political influence, which remains significant in US and international politics.