Fidel Ramos won’t join Duterte China trip—Palace exec

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Former President Fidel Ramos will not join President Rodrigo Duterte in his trip to China next week, a Palace official said on Thursday.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Ramos told him over the weekend that he was not joining the President.

“Noong nag-usap po kami ni former President Fidel V. Ramos noong nakaraang Sabado, ang sinabi niya po ay hindi sya sasama (Former President Fidel V. Ramos told me last Saturday that he won’t join the trip),” Andanar said in a palace briefing on Thursday.

“Di niya sinabi yung dahilan kung bakit di siya sasama pero (He didn’t cite why he won’t join [the trip] but) I believe that it is about giving respect to our current President Rodrigo Duterte sapagkat kung dalawang presidente po ang pupunta doon, syempre posibleng mahati ang atensyon (because if two presidents would go there, it is possible that the attention would be divided),” he added.

Duterte earlier appointed Ramos to become the country’s special envoy to China amid our ongoing maritime dispute with the superpower nation.

READ: Ramos accepts Duterte offer to become special envoy to China

The President is scheduled to visit China from October 18 to 21. RAM/rga

READ: Duterte to visit China next week