Bilyonaryo - Business

Bawing-bawi yan! Marcos claims transparency, accountability not an issue with foreign investors amid demand for full disclosure on his foreign trips

January 25, 2023

Bilyonaryo.com

His critics are demanding full transparency on the cost of his numerous foreign trips but President Bongbong Marcos is claiming transparency and accountability are the least of the concerns of foreign businessmen.

“This has not been an issue that the private businesses bring up. They bring up ease of doing business. They bring up the cost of energy. They bring up the problems of legislative guarantees,” said Marcos in a briefing.

“Ang legislative guarantees,lalo na sa PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships), ibig sabihin nasa gitna noong project nila papalitan ‘yung batas, hindi nakikita ‘yung project nila, pero pilit pa rin nilang tapusin. ‘Yun ang mga nangyayari daw… ‘Yan ang nirereklamo nila sa Pilipinas,” he added.

Marcos was asked to to respond to the public’s clamor on how much the government spent and the number of people who joined him in eight overseas trips in his first seven months in office.

“In terms of the cost, you know, the way I see it, you have to look at it as ROI (return on investment). Do we bring something back or do we not? As I’ve said I don’t know the exact figures of the cost and everything. But for example, we came back from China with pledges of 22 billion. Let’s say we get actual out of that one billion, bawing-bawi lahat ng eight trips. Finished. That’s the idea,” said Marcos.

“Actually the official delegation is just myself and the Cabinet ministers, then they have staff. So, the rest are security. And the others that have been accompanying me are actually private sector. They don’t actually fly with me. They go there on their own. Although they are included in our meetings, and they have their own meetings on the sidelines as well,” he added.

But Marcos is not bothered by the ringing demand for full disclosure on his foreign trips

“The critics will have their say. But those who are actually contemplating putting good money into the Philippines have other issues and accountability and transparency is not an issue,” Marcos said.

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