President Rodrigo Duterte may have ditched his signature plaid shirt for a barong Tagalog with rolled-up sleeves during the 69th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Air Force, but the pair of denim jeans stays.
Duterte rounded up the look by wearing a pair of brown leather shoes, instead of black ones, at the PAF rites in Clark, Pampanga, on Tuesday.
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After the Air Force event, the President braved the bad weather and graced the start of the Fiba Olympic qualifying tournament at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City wearing a brown polo shirt and jeans.
Asked about the barong and jeans ensemble, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abello said Duterte was “a working President.”
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“We have a working President,” Abella said in a text message on Wednesday.
There was no specified dress code for the PAF event but guests were advised to be in “smart casual” attire.
During the campaign period, Duterte preferred to wear jeans and checkered shirts even when attending business events.
The President, who had been Davao City mayor for 22 years, earlier said he was not comfortable wearing a barong because of his allergy.
Duterte was first seen wearing a barong during the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City.
“This is a sovereign function,” Duterte told INQUIRER.net when teased about wearing the formal attire.
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