Phil envoy, 4 lawmakers attend Trump's inaug

A Filipino diplomat and four lawmakers were invited to Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony as the 47th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Monday (US time).

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez was the sole representative from the diplomatic corps invited by the US Department.

Romualdez disclosed that Representative Joe Wilson of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs extended invitations to four Filipino lawmakers, including Deputy Speakers Antonio Albano and Raymond Democrito Mendoza.

Earlier this month, Romualdez stated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not invited to Trump's inauguration as it is a policy for only ambassadors to attend such events.

Trump served as the 45th U.S. president from 2016 to 2020 and recently won the presidency over Vice President Kamala Harris in November 2024, with the inauguration moved indoors due to freezing temperatures between -7 and -11 degrees Fahrenheit.