Lady Gaga boards a private jet at the NAIA 3 on Wednesday. (Eric B. Apolonio)
Lady Gaga left the Philippines on Wednesday afternoon on board a private jet that was to take her to Bangkok, where she is slated to perform on Friday.
Her departure marked the end of the controversy whipped up by local religious groups, who denounced her music and called for the cancellation of her two concert nights at the new SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The shows, part of her “Born This Way Ball” tour, went on without a hitch. The pop diva even defied authorities by declaring during Monday night’s concert that she was “not a creature of your government, Manila.”
Lady Gaga was accompanied by five female backup singers and one security staff when she boarded a Lear chartered aircraft at the remote parking bay 20 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
It was the same American-registered private jet that flew her to Manila last Saturday night from Taipei. Customs, Immigration and Quarantine personnel processed her party’s departure formalities at the NAIA tarmac.
Lady Gaga’s convoy entered gate 3 of NAIA’s terminal 3 accompanied by airport police and was sent off by the group of Renen de Guia of Ovation Production, her concert promoter.
Security was tight as no media was allowed to cover the departure. After her Bangkok concert on Friday, Lady Gaga will proceed to Singapore for three concert nights.
Her June 3 concert in Jakarta faces cancellation amid serious security concerns.
