President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. recently recounted supernatural experiences during his years living in Malacañang Palace. Speaking in a vlog episode last year titled “Mga Multo sa Malacañang,” he shared various unsettling encounters with his son, Sandro Marcos, shedding light on the eerie history of the presidential residence.
One of the notable stories Marcos Jr. recalled was about a mysterious figure known as “Father Brown.” According to the president, security personnel stationed in the palace’s Reception Hall reported their sleep was often disturbed by strange occurrences attributed to this figure. Marcos explained that research into the palace’s history revealed that a “Father Brown,” an American, had indeed worked there during the colonial era.
In another instance, while temporarily staying in a guest room during renovations to his own quarters, Marcos encountered a particularly chilling moment. He described returning late one night and being startled when he noticed the chairs moving by themselves as he opened his door. “I started shouting, ‘Who in security is there? There’s a ghost, there’s a ghost! Who could it be?’” he recounted, as the guards tried to calm him, suggesting, “It’s probably just Father Brown.”
Another unsettling moment involved a chandelier inexplicably swinging, despite no open windows or nearby disturbances. “Sometimes, out of the many chandeliers, only one would be moving, and you can’t reach it,” Marcos remarked, noting that it seemed particularly odd given the stillness of the room.
Built in 1750, Malacañang Palace was originally a summer house for Spanish aristocrat Don Luis Rocha. It has since witnessed centuries of history, housing 18 Spanish governor-generals and later, 14 American governors, before becoming the official residence of the country’s presidents in 1935 under the Commonwealth government.
