Palace says P22.9-B ASEAN Summit spending open to audit amid scrutiny

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The government is prepared to audit its spending for the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, Malacañang said amid questions raised online about the expenses.

"Handa ang gobyerno na ito ay ma-audit. Handa ang gobyernong mag-report para ipakita sa inyo kung saan napunta lahat ang ating pinaghandaan bilang host ng ASEAN Summit," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Thursday.

(The government is ready to be audited. The government is ready to report to show the public where all the preparations we made as hosts of the ASEAN Summit went.)

The government has allocated P22.9 billion for the ASEAN Summit, as it marks its fifth time to chair the regional bloc.

Castro said instead of looking at the spending on ASEAN, the public should look at the gains the country is getting and will get in the future.

Castro made the statement as posts circulated online comparing the government's ASEAN budget of the Marcos administration to the Arroyo and Duterte administrations, which had P1 billion and P3.79 billion, respectively.

"Mas dapat natin tignan ano yung nasakop, ano yung nagawa, ano yung maaari maging risulta nito kesa sa ano yung nagastos noon at kung ano yung magagastos ngayon. Dahil alam naman nating ang Pangulo; ang pondo ng bayan dapat nababalik sa bayan" Castro said.

(We should look more at what has been achieved, what has been accomplished, what the results can be rather than what has been spent in the past and what will be spent now. Because we know the President, the people's funds should be returned to the people.)

Among the preparations done for the Summit are infrastructure and venue preparations, and security and emergency resources.

Attract investors in ASEAN

Castro also refuted claims that the clearing operations and installation of barricades in Pasay City were aimed at improving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s image.

She said the government is conducting clearing operations not only for security purposes but also to attract international investors during the Summit.

"To suffer? Because of the vanity of the President? Bakit ang Pangulo ba nagpapaganda sa sarili niya?Ano ba ang pinapaganda natin, hindi ba ang Pilipinas?" Castro questioned.

(To suffer? Because of the vanity of the President? Why is the President making himself look good? What he is beautfying in the Philippines.)

"Pinapaganda natin ang Pilipinas para makita ng ibang bansa na ang Pilipinas ay isang mapagkakatiwalaang bansa kung saan puwede silang maglagak ng investments. Anong gusto nilang makita sa ating bansa? Isang maduming bansa?" she added.

(We are making the Philippines beautiful so that other countries can see that the Philippines is a trustworthy country where they can invest. What do they want to see in our country? A dirty country.)

Castro's statement was in reaction to BAYAN's statement that "people are being made to suffer" because of the "vanity" of President Ferdinand Marcos. Jr.

"Wag nilang ipahid kay pangulo ang lahat ng mga pagbibintang nang walang anumang basehan. Hindi mismo ang pangulo ang nagpapaganda sa sarili niya. Ang pinapaganda niya ay bansa at ang kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino," Castro said.

(They should not point all these baseless accusations at the President. The President is not the one who is making himself look good, but the country and the welfare of every Filipino.) —LDF, GMA News