Malacañang said yesterday that the Cabinet will today meet today to discuss the Recto Bank incident.
However, President Duterte will not attend as he has a packed schedule.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that Duterte called for a meeting to discuss the incident in which 22 Filipino fishermen were abandoned by the Chinese vessel which hit their anchored boat on the West Philippine Sea last week.
In an interview with Super Radyo DZBB, Nograles clarified that there will be a meeting but only between Cabinet clusters since Duterte will not be able to attend due to his busy schedule.
“Alam naman natin na ang puwede lang magpatawag ng meeting si President,” Nograles explained.
“Meron kaming pina-schedule na meeting ngayon, cluster meeting. If that meeting will push through tomorrow, it will be two clusters – ‘yung cluster ni Secretary Lorenzana, at cluster ni Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez,” he said.
“I don’t think makaka-attend siya kasi puno ‘yung schedule niya tomorrow. Hindi siya puwede sa proposed time ng cluster kung saan libre ang mga Cabinet secretaries,” he added.
According to Nograles, they will relay to the President whatever they discuss during the meeting which will also be attended by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“Ang mangyayari pagkatapos ng meeting ay siguro mas maliliwanagan na kami, Cabinet secretaries will get a clearer picture of what happened or what our next steps will be. Kung ano ang mapagusapan sa meeting, ibibigay namin kay Pangulong Duterte. He will process. Ultimately siya ang magdedesisyon. Ginagawa lang namin ito para we are on the same page,” he said.
“I’m sure the President right now is gathering as much needed information as he can. Alam naman natin na si Pangulo has access to classified information… Ultimately si Pangulo ang magdedesisyon kung ano ang magiging polisiya natin,” he added. (Argyll Geducos)