ANGELES CITY- Has Pres. Aquino gone “imelfific” with his P44-million budget for his official trips to New Zealand and Australia?
As far as the militant fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) is concerned, “the President is the new Imelda Marcos of the hour.”
In a press statement, Pamalakaya national chairperson Fernando Hicap said the P44-million budget was too much and that only about a fourth of the amount would have sufficed for this official sorties.
“The President can stay in a modest hotel during the state visit and dine in modest restaurants without any shade of fanfare. He can a have minimum number of companion of at least two to three persons and just take the commercial flights to New Zealand and Australia,” Hicap said.
He said that allocation of as much as P44 million for the trips “only shows that President Aquino is living like Imelda Marcos with this Imeldific display of elite aristocracy.”
The President left Sunday night for New Zealand upon the invitation of Prime Minister John Key. He will later proceed to Australia for a meeting with Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The President will be in Australia from October 24 to 26.
Pamalakaya noted that the President is accompanied by 96 delegates that include foreign affairs secretary Alberto del Rosario, finance chief Cesar Purisima, trade secretary Gregory Domingo, agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala, defense chief Voltaire Gazmin, socio-economic planning secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Palace communications officer Ricky Carandang, Philippine ambassador to New
Zealand Virginia Benavidez and Philippine Ambassador to Australia Belen Anota.
“If this is not a junket trip, then what is it? A field trip to Fort Santiago? A trip to Jerusalem? Mr. Aquino and Malacanang should convince the Filipino taxpaying public the legal, political and moral wisdom and validity of this Palace-sponsored outing of 96 people,” said Hicap.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, however, maintained the state visits to New Zealand and Australia will further boost and strengthen the political, economic and defense ties with the two countries.
Aside from the meetings with New Zealand and Australia’s head of states, the President is scheduled to address the meeting of the Philippines-Australia Business Forum, the Asia Society of Australia and the Australia Philippine Business Council composed of top business leaders.
The President is also scheduled to unveil the statue of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal in Campbell town and will meet members of the Filipino community in Australia. The Australian state is home to 224,000 Filipinos.
