MANILA, Philippines – Ipinagtanggol ng tatlong kaalyado ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., sa Senado ang mahigit P1.4 bilyong travel fund ng Office of the President para sa 2024 dahil nakakakuha naman ng pledges sa kanyang biyahe.
Sa magkakahiwalay na pahayag, sinabi ng tatlong kaalyado ng Palasyo sa Senado sa pangunguna ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senador JV Ejercito at Sherwin Gatchalian, na wala silang nakikitang mali sa travel fund.
Ayon kay Villanueva, mabebenepisyuhan ang bansa sa foreign trips ni Marcos na naghahanap ng pamumuhunan sa abroad na maaaring magresulta sa paglikha ng trabaho para sa mamamayan.
“I really think it’s all worth it. He even mentioned to us ‘yung latest travel n’ya sa Malaysia. He was able to generate $285 million in investment pledges, and he was talking that that amount of money would translate to about a hundred thousand jobs,” ayon kay Villanueva sa online interview ng media.
“Nakikita ko kasi talaga ‘yung importance and how powerful it is that the number one marketing guy sa Pilipinas, when it comes to tourism, and investments, and economic pledges, eh talagang Pangulo,” dagdag niya.
Pero, nilinaw ni Villanueva na dapat maipagtanggol ng Palasyo ang bawat detalye ng pondo.
“Lahat ng sobra masama. Titingnan pa rin natin at sisiguraduhin na it will be put into good use,” aniya.
Depensa naman ni Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito na kanilang tatanungin ang Office of the President na maghain ng rationale sa pagtaas ng badyet sa foreign travels.
“We will have to scrutinize, and we will have to ask probably ‘yung OP, ‘yung ES siguro, in the presence of the Executive Secretary, kung ano ‘yung rationale for the increase in the budget for that travel of the President,” ayon kay Ejercito sa hiwalay na interview.
Anila, nabebenepisyuhan ang bansa sa paglalakbay ng Pangulo dahil sagad sa meeting at diyalogo ang kanyang ginagawa sa mga state leaders at dayuhang imbestor.
“Nakasama ako once sa Malaysia… and I saw for myself meron naman talagang benefits,” ayon kay Ejercito.
“Malaking tulong din ‘yung pag re-establish, strengthening ng relationship with our ASEAN neighbors, with [European Union] especially, with our known allies. He wanted to announce to the world that we are now again ready and open for business. So, I think ‘yun ‘yung rationale naman niya—‘yung foreign direct investments to increase,” dagdag niya.
Pero, kung may “unnecessary expenses” sa panukalang badyet para sa foreign trips, sinabi ni Ejercito na kanyang ilalaan ito ibang infrastructure projects.
Samantala, ipinagtanggol din ni Gatchalian ang pagtaas ng badyet sa travel fund ng Pangulo dahil tumaas ng mahigit 120% ang pangako ng dayuhan nang magsimula ang administrasyon.
“In my analysis… the past trips of the President are bearing fruit by attracting interest to our country, by attracting pledges to invest in our country,” ayon kay Gatchalian.
“So the trips are justifiable, and I think that’s a formula that our President is applying in order to bring foreign investment… there’s a direction in the trips, it’s not vacation,” aniya.
Ngunit, ayon kay Gatchalian, dapat magkaroon ng aktuwal na pamuhunan sa mga pangakong nakuha ng bansa sa paglalakbay ni Marcos.
“The biggest question and the biggest challenge is when the actual investment will come in. To follow through to those investments. And that’s a different story, because you have to now, pass through the government processes, you have to talk to government agencies, and admittedly we need to fix red tape in our country. But in terms of attracting interest, especially investors to come in, it seems to me that the trips are bearing fruit,” aniya.
Naglaan ang pamahalaan ng P1.4 bilyon para sa Office of the President na gagamitin ang lokal at dayuhang misyon at state visit sa 2024.
Naunang nakapunta na si Marcos sa Indonesia, Singapore, at China; dumalo sa United Nations General Assembly sa New York; at lumahok sa ASEAN summit sa Cambodia. Nakapunta din siya sa Thailand nitong nakaraang November para sa APEC 2022 at sa Brussels, Belgium para sa EU-ASEAN Summit, World Economic Forum sa Davos, Switzerland, at Tokyo, Japan para sa official visit. Ernie Reyes
