Palace expects fewer lawmakers in next Arroyo trips
08/28/2009 | 09:25 AM
Still reeling from criticisms over President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's recent trip to the United States, Malacañang said Friday it expects fewer lawmakers to join the President's scheduled visits to the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Libya next month.
In a radio interview, deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said lawmakers would now be "more conscious" in tagging along with President Arroyo following the flak on the US trip, plus the fact that they are "busy" attending to pending bills, including the proposed P1.541-trillion national budget for 2010.
"Siguro naman ngayon they’ll be more conscious also dahil sa previous trip sa pagsama ng delegado pagdating sa biyahe. Plus ngayon, we have urgent bills to tackle in Congress at the same time dahil sinubmit natin ang ating budget," Fajardo told radio dzXL.
(Perhaps they will be more conscious because of the previous trip. Plus there are urgent bills to tackle in Congress, including the national budget for 2010.)
She added that the Palace expects to get by next week the list of lawmakers who would accompany the President on her next trips.
"Hopefully by Tuesday more or less may makuha tayong detalye kasi nga unang una kailangan malaman from advance party ano ang meetings and additional activities na pwedeng magawa ni Pangulo. We usually do that para ma-maximize ang biyahe niya. And then based from that, doon malalaman sino ang congressman na related doon sa activities or agenda based sa kanilang committee, na sasama," Fajardo said.
(Hopefully by Tuesday we will get more details on the trip, based on the report of the advance
party. We will try to squeeze additional activities to maximize the trip. So some lawmakers with related activities may join the trip.)
Over 20 lawmakers were reported to have joined the President during her recent US trip late July. [See: 23 lawmakers join Arroyo in US trip]
Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to go to UK and Saudi Arabia starting Sept. 23. Earlier reports said the trip will include a state visit to Saudi Arabia and participation in an international forum organized by the London-based magazine The Economist.
Host country to shoulder expenses
She is also scheduled to go to Libya on Sept. 1 to 2 to attend the 40th anniversary of the Great Al-Fateh Revolution.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita earlier said Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz invited Mrs. Arroyo for a state visit and for a meeting regarding the welfare of the 1.5 million Filipinos working there.
Ermita quickly added that since it’s an invitation, all expenses would be shouldered by the host country.
Mrs. Arroyo was also invited for a speaking forum by the London-based magazine The Economist, according to Ermita. "For a president to be invited by The Economist, the leading magazine abroad, that’s an honor."
On the other hand, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Mrs. Arroyo was invited by the Libyan government to attend the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fateh Revolution on September 1.
"The Libyan government has invited a number of leaders and dignitaries from several countries to attend the anniversary celebration, including the President," the DFA said in a statement released Thursday.
Mrs. Arroyo came under fire early this month for her alleged overspending in her recent visit to the US, including "lavish" dinners in New York and Washington.
Deputy executive secretary for finance Susana Vargas had said that Mrs. Arroyo's latest US trip amounted to P37 million. [See: Arroyo entourage spent over P37M in US, document shows]
The amount, however, excludes expenses incurred by lawmakers and Cabinet secretaries who joined the trip. - GMANews.TV
In a radio interview, deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said lawmakers would now be "more conscious" in tagging along with President Arroyo following the flak on the US trip, plus the fact that they are "busy" attending to pending bills, including the proposed P1.541-trillion national budget for 2010.
"Siguro naman ngayon they’ll be more conscious also dahil sa previous trip sa pagsama ng delegado pagdating sa biyahe. Plus ngayon, we have urgent bills to tackle in Congress at the same time dahil sinubmit natin ang ating budget," Fajardo told radio dzXL.
(Perhaps they will be more conscious because of the previous trip. Plus there are urgent bills to tackle in Congress, including the national budget for 2010.)
She added that the Palace expects to get by next week the list of lawmakers who would accompany the President on her next trips.
"Hopefully by Tuesday more or less may makuha tayong detalye kasi nga unang una kailangan malaman from advance party ano ang meetings and additional activities na pwedeng magawa ni Pangulo. We usually do that para ma-maximize ang biyahe niya. And then based from that, doon malalaman sino ang congressman na related doon sa activities or agenda based sa kanilang committee, na sasama," Fajardo said.
(Hopefully by Tuesday we will get more details on the trip, based on the report of the advance
party. We will try to squeeze additional activities to maximize the trip. So some lawmakers with related activities may join the trip.)
Over 20 lawmakers were reported to have joined the President during her recent US trip late July. [See: 23 lawmakers join Arroyo in US trip]
Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to go to UK and Saudi Arabia starting Sept. 23. Earlier reports said the trip will include a state visit to Saudi Arabia and participation in an international forum organized by the London-based magazine The Economist.
Host country to shoulder expenses
She is also scheduled to go to Libya on Sept. 1 to 2 to attend the 40th anniversary of the Great Al-Fateh Revolution.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita earlier said Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz invited Mrs. Arroyo for a state visit and for a meeting regarding the welfare of the 1.5 million Filipinos working there.
Ermita quickly added that since it’s an invitation, all expenses would be shouldered by the host country.
Mrs. Arroyo was also invited for a speaking forum by the London-based magazine The Economist, according to Ermita. "For a president to be invited by The Economist, the leading magazine abroad, that’s an honor."
On the other hand, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Mrs. Arroyo was invited by the Libyan government to attend the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fateh Revolution on September 1.
"The Libyan government has invited a number of leaders and dignitaries from several countries to attend the anniversary celebration, including the President," the DFA said in a statement released Thursday.
Mrs. Arroyo came under fire early this month for her alleged overspending in her recent visit to the US, including "lavish" dinners in New York and Washington.
Deputy executive secretary for finance Susana Vargas had said that Mrs. Arroyo's latest US trip amounted to P37 million. [See: Arroyo entourage spent over P37M in US, document shows]
The amount, however, excludes expenses incurred by lawmakers and Cabinet secretaries who joined the trip. - GMANews.TV
