United States President Joe Biden has invited President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to visit Washington, Philippine Ambassador to US Joel Manuel Romualdez said Sunday.
This makes Biden the first foreign head of state to formally extend the gesture to the newly-elected leader.
According to Romualdez, US Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff personally handed Biden’s invitation letter to Marcos.
Emhoff, the husband of US Vice President Kamala Harris, led a seven-member delegation from Washington that attended the June 30 inauguration of Marcos.
The two officials later had a meeting on Thursday afternoon in Malacañang.
"I hope you can come to Washington once our teams find an appropriate time," Romualdez said, quoting Biden's letter to Marcos.
Earlier, Deputy State Secretary Wendy Sherman said Marcos could still come to the US despite a contempt judgment by a US court since he is the head of the state.
Back in 2012, a US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed down a $353-million contempt order against his family for violating an injunction that barred them from dissipating assets of the estate.
However, having diplomatic immunity as a head of state only covers Marcos Jr. and not his family.
