(Eagle News)–The Palace on Wednesday, May 29, denied the trip to Japan of some members of the Cabinet was a reward for them, following the results of the midterm elections that were overwhelmingly favorable to the administration.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Palace “does not share the position or remarks” of Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V.
According to Panelo, in the first place, Cabinet members were prohibited by the President to campaign for the administration candidates during the last elections.
“It is therefore sans logic that they can be rewarded when they were disallowed from contributing to the reason or cause for the grant of reward,” Panelo said.
According to Panelo, the presence of the 16 Cabinet members was “necessary,” adding that Laurel may have been either “innocently speculating for lack of information or may have been misinformed of the nature of the trip of the Cabinet members.”
He said the President “needs most of his team players, not only as a sign of respect or giving importance to our long-time ally, but we likewise see the need for a stronger cooperation between our governments.”
“This can be achieved by the constant dialogue by our Cabinet members with their counterparts in the Japanese government, who are, in various ways, involved in our country’s significant transactions with Japan,” he said.
“Our countrymen in Japan, in the number of thousands, are also entitled to meet the men and women in flesh, who lend their hand to the President, in chartering the course of governance that affect their lives, as well as their loved ones, and the rest of the Filipino nation,” he added.
Duterte and his delegation left for Japan on Tuesday, May 28.
The Palace said Duterte was expected to hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
It said included in the agenda was the South China Sea dispute.
Duterte is also expected to speak at the 25th International Conference on The Future of Asia on Friday, May 31, the Palace said.