(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte and some 200 members of his delegation to Japan arrived at the Haneda International Airport on Tuesday night, May 28, the start of his four-day trip to Japan expected to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two Asian countries.
President Rodrigo Duterte is set to deliver a keynote speech at the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia on May 31, and is also set to hold bilateral talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
“The reason why the President is brought here is that the Japanese — it’s not Abe alone–it’s the Japanese that are in themselves fascinated by his government,” Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel said during an interview with Philippine reporters.
-Japanese fascinated with Duterte’s leadership style, says PHL envoy-
“And the Japanese are always fascinated with leadership that is recognized, affirmed by their own people, at the same time a tremendous political will insofar as his programs are concerned. So he is not controversial but interesting. Ibang klase for the Japanese. Because the Japanese are also interested in quality leadership that leads the nation.”
Duterte was invited by Nikkei, Japan’s leading media and economic organization, which has been concentrating on Asia for the last five years considering the region’s robust growth.
It expects Asia’s economic growth to become the biggest in the world in the next few years.
“If you look at it very closely, with the exception of Japan, everyone in Asia is growing. The average is roughly between 5 and 5.3 and the Philippines has been growing for the last four years roughly about 6.8. This year is I think going to be within the range of about 7, 7.1,” Laurel said.
“Now the Japanese would like to also participate in the growth. And the significance is the Philippines is one of the countries that is very desirous to go into and there are opportunities from both sides.”
Upon arrival at the airport, President Duterte proceeded to the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo for the first day of his visit to Japan. Included in his delegation are 16 cabinet members and other officials and business executives.
-Remarks of PHL ambassador to Japan on trip as a “reward” for officials refuted by Palace-
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier corrected the remark made by Philippine ambassador to Japan, Jose Laurel, that the inclusion of 16 cabinet members to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Japan trip was a “reward.”
Panelo said that the Palace “does not share the position or remarks” of Laurel who claimed on Tuesday that the trip may be a “reward” for the good showing of the administration candidates in the May 13 elections.
He explained that Laurel was “innocently speculating for lack of information or may have been misinformed of the nature of the trip of the Cabinet members.”
He said that the Cabinet members’ presence was “necessary.”
“It is worth mentioning that Cabinet members were prohibited by the President to campaign for the administration candidates during the last elections,” said Panelo who himself is among the cabinet members who came with President Duterte to Japan.
“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,” he added.
Laurel voiced out his opinion to media on Tuesday that the inclusion of several cabinet members to President Duterte’s four-day Japan trip could be a “reward” (pabuya).
“You know, you ask me personally what is this purpose? Ito’y pabuya sa nakaraang election [This is a reward for the recent elections.] Why do you bring 21 — ah 20 Cabinet members here pati ang [including the] local government or land reform?” Laurel told reporters.
“But I think the President is so elated with the results that it — of the midterm election, that this is an affirmation of his administration in the last three years.”
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, however, immediately corrected Laurel, and said that the Cabinet officials included in the trip were never part of the election campaign for the administration candidates.
He said that they were included in the Japan trip for they had work to do in relation to various trade missions and other official work.
“Puro halos wala sa kampanya ang mga kasamang opisyal. May mga kanya-kanyang trade missions ang mga kasamang gabinete. Hindi po sila dekorasyon sa summit. Trabaho lang yan,” Medialdea said on Tuesday.
(Eagle News Service)
