Palace: Duterte to attend Apec summit in Peru… for now

Malacañang on Sunday said President Rodrigo Duterte would attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit next week in Peru, despite an earlier pronouncement that he might skip it due to the long flight to Lima.

But Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Duterte’s mind and schedule could still change.

“For now, it is confirmed. It can change tomorrow. Maybe there could be other activities that could just spring up and activities that are more important than activities in Peru,” Andanar said over radio DZBB.

“For now, tuloy ang Peru,” he said. (Peru will push through)

Upon arriving from Malaysia on Friday, Duterte hinted that he was mulling not to attend the leaders’ meeting in Peru as it was a “long way across the globe.”

“It’s a long way across the globe. It’s a long haul. It will kill you by the time you reach (destination),” Duterte said in a press briefing. “If my presence is dispensable, I’d rather not kasi malayo… I hate long-hauls. Talagang ‘di ko kaya ‘yan.”

But Duterte said Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay told him to attend his first Apec summit, which will be also attended by outgoing US President Barack Obama and other world leaders.

Andanar said Duterte would have a two-hour stopover in New Zealand to take a rest.

He noted that the President was not complaining of his busy schedule and taxing foreign trips.

“It’s just the body. When the trips and the long hours they take the toll, it’s beyond a person’s control. But the President never complained. In fact, all of the trips, all of the activities are being planned by the President. And the President gives his go-signal to all of these future events that he will be attending to,” Andanar said.

“The job of the President, including the Cabinet members, is a 25-hour and 8-days-a-week job. We cannot complain. We took this job. We accepted the challenges and the roles, and we are up to it,” he added. CBB