A helicopter trip to a Coldplay concert lands a world leader in trouble

The leader of the Philippines has landed himself in trouble after using a presidential helicopter to bypass heavy traffic and make it to a Coldplay concert.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife were seen riding a chopper last Friday to the Philippine Arena— the world's largest indoor arena — just north of Manila, the country's notoriously traffic-heavy capital. 

He soon received backlash from some social media users, who questioned Marcos' use of taxpayers' money and criticized him for not solving transportation issues in the country.

"What he showed was a stark contrast to what many ordinary Filipino concertgoers had to go through," Nick Villavecer told NBC News on Monday via text message, adding that he was "utterly disappointed" but not surprised.

Villavecer said he left home seven hours before the concert in a carpool with other fans in order to avoid anticipated traffic jams.

"We have heard of some horrible stories of people being stuck in the traffic and missing the first half of the previous concerts," he said. "If the venue was more accessible, we wouldn't have to spend hours waiting outside."

In response to the wave of online criticism, Major General Nelson Morales, who heads the Presidential Security Command, said in a statement Saturday that the security agency "took decisive action by opting for the presidential chopper."

The arena experienced "an unprecedented influx of 40,000 individuals eagerly attending a concert, resulting in unforeseen traffic complications," which had posed a potential threat to the leader's security, Morales added. 

The statement did little to stem the backlash, however.

"If his security team identified the situation as unsafe and risky for the president and his family, then he