MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino could be trying to gauge public interest in his love life whenever he jokes in public about that part of his life that he demands that the media leave alone.
Deputy Malacañang spokesperson Abigail Valte made that speculation when she was asked if someone had advised the President to be more open about his dating activities after he referred to his love life in recent speeches.
“We don’t know. First off, because it’s about the personal life of President, we don’t inquire or ask. There is no way to know if somebody advised him to be more open about his love life,” Valte said over the government-run radio station dzRB.
“Perhaps, the President would just want to get the reaction of the people. Of course everybody is very interested in the love life of the President but usually, when it’s really private, the President keeps it to himself,” she added.
Despite repeatedly telling the media to lay off his love life, Aquino has been bringing up the matter in his speeches.
Before the Filipino community in Beijing, Aquino joked that due to the demands of his office, his love life—like Coca-cola—had gone from regular, to light and now zero.
The joke, which made it to the headlines, prompted Pepsi Cola to come up with a full-page ad that says: “Love life? Go from Zero to Max.” Pepsi Max is the softdrink brand’s sugar-free variant.
During the investiture of Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin as president of the Ateneo De Manila University on Thursday night, Aquino sort of brought up the issue of having a relationship anew as he asked the new university president to stay on until his would-be children could attend the school.