GettyThe newly elected president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is refusing to live in the traditional presidential palace because he’s worried it’s haunted.
The official residence of the Filipino president is Malacanang Palace, Manila, which was built in 1750 and has been used ever since the country became independent in 1945.
However, the Daily Mail reports that Duterte told reporters that he wouldn’t live there because ‘there are many ghosts there’.
WikimediaDuterte explained that the root of his fears began when he was working as a consultant for President Gloria Arroyo 15 years ago.
He said:
She [President Gloria Arroyo] once called me around 2 am.
I was brought to a sitting area with paintings of the presidents, while I waited for her to dress up.
The presidents were in different poses, but they were all looking in front. The wind blew or maybe the aircon was on full blast. When I looked again, they were all looking at me. Son of a bitch, I’m out of here. It’s crazy.
http://malacanang.gov.ph/The new president says he’s still planning on working out of the palace but is looking into the possibility of living at the Arlegui mansion, which was used by Presidents back in the 1990s.
Duterte isn’t the only president to report spooky goings on either – the notorious dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife both claimed that the mansion was haunted by the ghosts of two former presidents, Manuel Quezon and Manuel Roxas.
Imee Marcos, Ferdinand’s daughter once claimed to have seen Quezon’s ghost in the presidential study, while others report seeing the ghost of a presidential valet.
http://malacanang.gov.ph/Another ghostly story refers to Father Brown, an American chaplain, whose ghost is variously described as both benevolent and malicious. The priest is supposed to have been executed by the Japanese at the palace during their occupation of the islands back in World War II.
The Filipino government certainly believe the house is haunted, running a website devoted to all the spooky goings on.
Maybe they should give the Filipino Ghostbusters a call?
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.