German national Marc Sueselbec grieves beside the coffin of his fiancee, slain transgender Jennifer Laude, in Olongapo city north of Manila October 20, 2014. The Philippines on Friday issued a summons for an American serviceman, U.S. Marine Joseph Scott P
German national Marc Sueselbec grieves beside the coffin of his fiancee, slain transgender Jennifer Laude, in Olongapo city north of Manila October 20, 2014. The Philippines on Friday issued a summons for an American serviceman, U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, named as a suspect in the murder of a transgender Filipino he met in a bar outside the former U.S. navy base of Subic Bay, to appear at a hearing next week. Prosecutors will determine if there is enough evidence to put U.S. Marine Scott Pemberton on trial at a court in Olongapo City for the murder of Jeffrey Laude, 26, who was found last Saturday in a hotel room. REUTERS/Lorgina Minguito (PHILIPPINES - Tags: OBITUARY CRIME LAW) TEMPLATE OUT
German national Marc Sueselbec grieves beside the coffin of his fiancee, slain transgender Jennifer Laude, in Olongapo city north of Manila October 20, 2014. The Philippines on Friday issued a summons for an American serviceman, U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, named as a suspect in the murder of a transgender Filipino he met in a bar outside the former U.S. navy base of Subic Bay, to appear at a hearing next week. Prosecutors will determine if there is enough evidence to put U.S. Marine Scott Pemberton on trial at a court in Olongapo City for the murder of Jeffrey Laude, 26, who was found last Saturday in a hotel room. REUTERS/Lorgina Minguito (PHILIPPINES - Tags: OBITUARY CRIME LAW) TEMPLATE OUT

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said over the weekend that he did not intend to insult the family of the Filipino transgender, who was allegedly killed by a 19-year-old American soldier after a sex encounter, when he did not attend the funeral of slain Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude.

Explaining his position, the 54-year-old bachelor president said, quoted by ABS-CBN, "In general, I don't attend wakes of people I don't know ... I'm uncomfortable in trying to condole with people who don't know me."

Aquino added, "How can I say that I really sympathize with their loss and have some relevant discussion with them on trying to assuage their loss at that point in time?"

However, his excuse was criticised by many Filipinos who pointed out that when Aquino's father was assassinated in 1982, millions of Filipinos queued to sympathise with the family during the senator's wake despite Martial Law still prevailing at that time.

YouTube/A MEANINGFUL DEATH than a meaningless life

And millions more showed up for his father's funeral despite the bad weather. The same huge crowd was repeated when his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, died of colon cancer in 2010.

Some netizens came up with memes showing the huge crowd in his dad's funeral, juxtaposed with Aquino's words that he couldn't condole with people whom he does not know personally.

Terry Ridon, Youth Partylist representative in Congress, said in a statement, "This is the most callous and insensitive remark that any president could give. Instead of offering condolences to the Laude family, just as any self-respecting statesman would do, Aquino decided to blurt out those obtuse statements."

Meanwhile, Laude was buried on Saturday in Olongapo, while the suspect - 19-year-old Joseph Scott Pemberton - is under the custody of the US, but inside a Philippine camp with both American and Filipino soldiers guarding him.

The boyfriend of Laude, German national Marc Sueselbeck, was prevented from leaving the Philippines on Sunday as he was about to board a Malaysian Airlines plane to return to Germany. Ironically, the reason behind his hold departure order was because of a pending case to deport the German over his climbing over the perimeter fence where Pemberton is detained and shoving a Filipino guard.

As a result of the hold departure, Sueselbeck fainted and was rushed to the hospital.

YouTube/GMA News