OFF President Duterte returns the salute of military officers welcoming him to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday prior to his departure for Japan to attend the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia. Sixteen Cabinet officials are traveling with the President as part of the 200-strong Philippine delegation to the annual gathering. —MALACAÑANG PHOTO
TOKYO, Japan — President Rodrigo Duterte has taken 16 Cabinet officials on his third trip to Japan as a “reward” for the victory of his allies in the May 13 midterm elections, Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V said on Tuesday.
The President departed for Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon on a visit aimed at deepening the Philippines’ political and economic ties with a regional ally that he had described as “closer than a brother.”
He boarded a private plane that left Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 4:52 p.m., and landed in Tokyo at 9:52 p.m. (Japan time).
He will hold a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the evening, their seventh since the Philippine leader came to office in 2016.
Future of Asia
The President will deliver the keynote address to the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia on the invitation of Nikkei Inc.
His speech “will highlight Philippine development goals and accomplishments, foreign policy thrusts, and insights on regional and global developments,” according to a predeparture statement.
Laurel said the President’s 200-strong delegation included Cabinet secretaries, other officials and their staff.
In a talk with Filipino reporters covering the President’s trip, Laurel said the President’s visit should not be seen as a balancing act in the Philippines’ ties with Japan and China.
“It has nothing to do with China here in this visit. This is a reward for the past elections. Why do you bring 20 Cabinet members here, even local government? For land reform? There’s no land reform here, they’re done with that,” he said.
“But I think the President is so elated with the results of the midterm elections that this is an affirmation of what his administration has done in the last three years. It’s like a reward,” he added.
Working day and night
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez disputed Laurel’s view.
“I don’t know about that. But every time we travel with the President, we maximize his presence and have him speak to several investment [forums], and we conduct deal-signing, business matching and networking, roundtable meetings with President Duterte and investors and secretaries do join as an opportunity to dialogue with the foreign business community,” Lopez said.
“We have never seen this as a reward. [We have been] working day and night to prepare for all these activities,” he said.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol denied his trip with the President was a reward.
“[The Department of Agriculture] is shouldering my trip with only one staff member,” Piñol said. “I am part of the delegation because there will be issues related to agriculture [that the President] would bring up during the visit, especially tariff on banana. All I know is this is a working trip and not a reward.”
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea also denied the Cabinet officials were being rewarded for the elections.
‘It’s just work’
“No, it’s not. The officials traveling with the President were not involved in the campaign. They have their own trade missions. They are not decorations in the summit. It’s just work,” Medialdea said.
The Cabinet officials traveling with the President are Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Piñol, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Lopez, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr., Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Press Secretary Martin Andanar, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo and presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr.
The annual gathering, regarded as one of Asia’s top foreign policy and economic forums, will be attended by political, economic and academic leaders, who will “offer their opinions frankly and freely on regional issues and the role of Asia in the world,” according to the official website of the conference.
The leaders will discuss cooperation in infrastructure development, trade and investments, agriculture, labor, defense, maritime security and maritime domain awareness, people-to-people exchanges, and the pursuit of peace and progress in Mindanao.
Business meetings
President Duterte is expected to meet with Japanese businessmen and attend an economic forum on Wednesday.
He will meet with Filipinos living in Tokyo on Thursday night.
On Friday afternoon, he is expected to keynote the conference, which has the theme “In Search of a New World Order, Overcoming Chaos.” —Reports from Julie M. Aurelio and DJ Yap