TOKYO, Japan – Malacañang yesterday denied that President Duterte’s four-day visit to Japan was a reward for Cabinet members for the administration’s victory in the recent mid-term elections.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Malacañang does not share Philippine Ambassador Jose C. Laurel V’s position concerning the Cabinet members joining the President in his third visit to Japan, noting that these people were not even allowed to campaign for any candidate in this year’s polls.
“It is worth mentioning that Cabinet members were prohibited by the President to campaign for the administration candidates during the last elections. It is therefore sans logic that they can be rewarded when they were disallowed from contributing to the reason or cause for the grant of reward,” he said.
“The good ambassador may have been either innocently speculating for lack of information or may have been misinformed of the nature of the trip of the Cabinet members. The latter’s presence is necessary,” he added.
Panelo said Duterte needs most of his Cabinet officials with him in Tokyo to show respect to Japan and build a stronger cooperation with its government.
“The President therefore needs most of his team players, not only as a sign of respect or giving importance to our long-time ally, but we likewise see the need for a stronger cooperation between our governments,” Panelo said. “This can be achieved by the constant dialogue by our Cabinet members with their counterparts in the Japanese government, who are, in various ways, involved in our country’s significant transactions with Japan,” he added.
According to Panelo, Japan is the country’s second major trading partner, noting that at least 25 business deals worth P300 billion will be signed during the President’s visit. This is expected to generate at least 80,000 jobs.
Laurel had said that the visit may also be a reward for Cabinet members because the President was “elated” with the results of the recent midterm elections in which eight of his candidates secured Senate seats.
He said there are around 200 people from the government joining Duterte in his trip to Tokyo. Malacañang had listed down 16 members of the President’s official delegation. (Argyll Geducos)