In an exclusive Nes5 report by Jove Francisco, Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Rudy Fariñas talked about his now famous (or infamous) selfie with Pope Francis.
READ: Congressman gets slammed for selfie with the Pope
Fariñas—who was at the Vatican during the April 27 canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XIII—earned the ire of the public when he took the selfie despite the fact that he seemed to be intruding on Filipino Ambassador to the Holy See Mercedes Tuason’s personal space.
In his defense, Fariñas stated that he asked permission from the Pope before he took the selfie. When the pontiff said yes, he went ahead and took the photo. “Kaya nag-selfie ako. Nagmano naman si Ambassador. If some people are saying na mali yung ginawa ko, bahala sila,” he said.
He also added that Tuason was OK with the selfie incident. Fariñas likewise revealed that he was a devotee of St. John Paul II, one of the popes canonized during the occassion.
Screengrab from the News5 video
