BONGBONG MARCOS RECEIVES ST. BENEDICT MEDALLION BEFORE VP DEBATE FROM SECURITY OFFICER

VICE Presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. was given a medallion of St. Benedict of Nursia by a security detail just before the Commission on Elections-sponsored vice presidential PiliPinas Debates 2016 at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila last Sunday.

Before Marcos could enter the holding room at the UST, security officer James Simon handed to him the medallion to protect him against attacks.

A visibly surprised Marcos thanked him and extended his warm regards to his family. He was seen putting the medallion in his pocket.

In an interview, Simon said he was asked by his mother to give the medallion to the senator as a small way of thanking him for his family's substantial contribution to society.

"It's from my mom who wished to give the Senator a St. Benedict medal. When she found out I was going to be a security detail in the VP debate, she asked me to give the medallion him. As a Bedan, it has always guided and protected me in life," Simon said.

It should be noted that Marcos also has Benedictine roots as he is an alumnus of the Benedictine-run Worth School in West Sussex, England.

The Benedictine medal has been used for centuries by the Benedictine Monks and institutions as a ward against the forces of evil.

And the medallion obviously worked wonders during debate because although Marcos was the target of attacks from his fellow vice presidential candidates, with the ward of St. Benedict protecting him, he was able to weather the storm by rebutting all arguments against him and outshone his rivals in the various topics of the debate.