Manila: President Aquino has denied allegations he has been spending time on video games, adding he was insulted having to defend himself against rumours about such activity.
"I'm sorry I'm also human… I'm insulted if I'm asked to disprove a non-event, and I think any of us in the same situation would feel the way I do when I have to prove something that did not happen," Aquino told members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap).
"If you do a little checking, there is no basis for such an allegation," Aquino emphasised.
The Philippines president denied allegations that he was playing video games when eight foreigners from Hong Kong and a kidnapper were gunned down during a botched rescue operation at Manila's Luneta Park on August 23 last year.
"All you have to do is look at the calendar of activities that happened in Malacañang on that particular day. You can interview people like former director General Jesus Verzosa of the Philippine National Police and ask what time I called him up [then, during the 11-hour hostage-crisis]," said Aquino, describing how busy he was during that unfortunate day.
"You had a whole plethora of people subscribing to their oath of office that I was officiating. I think you will be able to get every minute of that day accounted for," Aquino said.
Aquino described his work as wearying, lamenting that his responsibility as head of state has prevented him relaxing in his home town in Tarlac.
