By Beting Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA  — For all intents, it was a return to the bad old days of the Marcos dictatorship when then First Lady Imelda Marcos threw extravagant parties for no other reason than because she could.

This time, it was the turn of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to celebrate his 67^th birthday last week at the Manila Marriot hotel. Entertainment was courtesy of a UK band that charges anywhere from $500,000 to $875,000 (P28.5 million to P49.9 million) for a one night show.

The event featuring Duran Duran was not known to local media, until a vlogger revealed the party reserved strictly for VIPs.

The Friday the 13^th party and its pricey entertainment became known on social media, and the prime suspect in exposing it was none other than the president’s older sister, Senator Imee Marcos.

So says a report from a relatively new media organization called Bilyonaryo, that often reports on the lives and businesses of the rich and famous.

According to the story, Imee went to the birthday bash, reportedly uninvited, greeted a few guests, then had her picture taken with the band that was at the forefront of the glam rock scene of the ‘80s. The senator then furnished a copy to the vlogger, who filed a report over social media.

When  word of the lavish party spread, Marcos said that it had been paid for by “old friends” as a surprise. This claim became questionable when the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) admitted that it had sent out invitations to the grand party.

The event was held at the Newport Resort complex owned by billionaire Kevin Tan.

The PCO said the president attended the party “after a tiring day filled with official engagements.”

“To his surprise and appreciation, music was provided by Duran Duran,” the PCO added.

On past occasions, Marcos Jr. has shown an inclination to attend events that critics claim is frivolous, such as his visit to Singapore last year in order to watch Formula 1 races.

While outwardly supportive of her brother, Senator Imee is also an ally of Vice President Sara Duterte, who has cut her ties with the Marcos administration. The senator allegedly leaked her photos of the event to a vlogger linked to the Duterte Die-hard Supporters (DDS).

Talk has been rife that the House of Representatives is planning on impeaching the vice president, and Duterte herself has admitted that she expects such a move to happen anytime.