Duterte trips to 12 countries cost P277 million: Abella

February 21, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte's visits abroad have incurred P277 million from taxpayers money.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte visited 12 countries since he assumed office in June 30 last year.

"We’re glad to report the windfall of President Duterte’s official foreign visits last year. The President made a total of seven foreign trips, visiting a total of 12 countries since he took office," he said.

"These visits incurred a total of about 277 million (pesos) in expenses, which included airfare, charter lease and others," Abella added.

During the previous administration, the Office of the Executive Secretary reported the estimated expenses for every foreign trip of former President Benigno Aquino III.

Abella justified the need for Duterte to embark on trips overseas.

"These official trips are part of the President’s obligation to maintain and strengthen diplomatic ties with neighboring countries and has clinched numerous economic investments and commitments amounting to billions of dollars --- to billions of pesos and generate thousands of jobs in the following years," he said.

He cited Duterte's trip to Japan in October last year, which produced investment commitments estimated at US$1.85 billion and will generate about 250,000 jobs in the next few years.

He also noted that during the Tokyo trip, there were also about five government-to-government agreements signed, including the exchange of note and agreements up to US$184 million.

"Moreover, 15 pipeline loans were acquired by several national agencies during the visit in Japan, which includes the construction of a subway from North Avenue to Taguig and a high-speed railway from Manila to Clark," Abella added.

In Duterte's visit to China, he also cited that more than 20 agreements, with a total value of US$4 billion and will generate over 100,000 jobs, were forged.

Included in the agreements were a 50 million Renminbi grant for the provision of drug rehabilitation facilities and another 50 million Renminbi million grant for the supply of law enforcement-related equipment, he said.

The farthest that Duterte visited so far was Peru when he joined the other leaders of the member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in November.

Except for Myanmar, the President visited all the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. But his trip to Thailand was just brief as he paid his last respects to late king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, in November.

Duterte is set to embark on official visits to Myanmar and Thailand next month. Celerina Monte/DMS