PORT MORESBY – President Duterte will be flying home earlier than scheduled from his trip to Papua New Guinea.
The President has decided to cut short his three-day trip to Papua New Guinea and return to the Philippines by early Sunday morning.
Based on his revised schedule released by the Palace, the President will no longer attend several activities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Nov. 18, the second day of the annual talks. He will instead be represented by some Cabinet members in the APEC events.
The APEC activities that will be missed by the President are APEC economic leaders’ official family photo, informal dialogue with International Monetary Fund, as well as their APEC leaders’ retreat and working lunch.
The President, who arrived in Port Moresby Friday morning, was originally scheduled to attend the APEC economic leaders’ summit on Nov. 17 and 18 to push for closer economic integration in the region amid the digital trade. He was supposed to arrive in Davao City Sunday night.
In his new schedule, the President will only join other APEC leaders on the first day of the summit on Nov. 17. These activities are the APEC leaders’ dialogue with APEC Business Advisor Council, APEC leaders’ dialogue with Pacific Island leaders, gala dinner, and APEC leaders and spouses family photo, gala, and cultural performance.
The Palace has yet to release the reason behind the President’s plan to cut short his Papua New Guinea trip.
The President is scheduled to leave Papua New Guinea at 11: 15 p.m. Saturday and arrive in Davao City international airport on Sunday 3:15 a.m. In his original schedule, he was supposed to depart Port Moresby at 4:15 p.m. Sunday and return home at 8:15 p.m. the same day. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)