Palace defends Duterte’s 21 foreign trips

June 27, 2017

Malacanang defended on Tuesday the foreign trips of President Rodrigo Duterte, who was considered as the "most travelled" president during the first year of administration. "It's true that (President Duterte) is the most travelled (president) and it is also true that the expenses already reached to around P300 million in more or less 21 trips," said Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar in a radio interview. But he said it is important to look at the cost-benefit analysis of Duterte's foreign trips. He noted that from the president's foreign trips, he was able to bring home "more than $35 billion" investment pledges. Andanar added the relationship of the Philippines with other countries which Duterte visited has improved a lot. "So, really you can see the relationship, you cannot pay it. The people-to-people relationship aside from the actual return of investment of $35 billion, we we're able to establish that relationship with different countries and we're able to put again our country in the map, we are again being looked up in the international stage," he explained. Among the countries that Duterte visited during his first year in office were nine other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, China, Russia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern countries. (Celerina Monte/DMS)