Palace: Most likely no 'caretaker' whenever President goes abroad

Citing his access to modern communication facilities, Malacañang said President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s “no caretaker policy" for his upcoming visit to the United States, will likely be the rule for his other foreign trips. In a radio interview on Monday, Herminio Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, said modern communications have helped eliminate the need for a caretaker while the President is away on a foreign trip. “Yung access to communication facilities, moderno na ang communication ngayon, allows the president to continue discharging the functions of his office, at mamahala kahit siya ay nasa abroad," he said in an interview on dwIZ radio. (Access to modern communication facilities allows the president to continue discharging the functions of his office even if he is abroad.). When asked if the President's no-caretaker policy will be the rule in future foreign trips, Coloma said, “ganoon na nga po (that appears to be the case)." Coloma said Aquino, who is comfortable in delegating responsibilities, left clear instructions delineating responsibilities for the officials concerned. “Kaya malinaw naman ang instruction, bagama’t walang tahasang sinabing may caretaker, may malinaw na responsibilidad na itinalaga ang pangulo," Coloma said. (The instructions are clear. There is no caretaker but each official concerned has clear-cut responsibilities.) Aquino will lead a 57-member Philippine delegation to the United States for a one-week working visit. The delegation leaves Monday night and is expected to return on September 28. On Sunday, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda cited a memorandum where Aquino asserted that he is still in charge even when he is out of the country. The memorandum instructed the Vice-President to represent the president in official functions, and the Executive Secretary to call Cabinet meetings if needed. The Vice-President will also preside over Cabinet meetings. However, in the Vice-President's absence, the Executive secretary will preside over such meetings. Meanwhile, Coloma brushed aside speculations by Malacañang’s critics that infighting between factions in the Palace may disrupt government operations while Aquino is away. “Para sa amin patuloy ang aming pagganap sa aming tungkulin. Di namin iniintindi ang bali-balitang ganyan. Mas importante mapaglingkuran nating mahusay ang ating kababayan," he said. (To us we will just continue doing our job. We do not take those claims seriously. What is important for us is to serve the people well.) Militants to monitor four issues Meanwhile, militant groups will keep watch over at least four issues when Aquino goes to the US. The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said, “The historic first trip should be an opportunity to address the outstanding problems with the Vesting Forces Agreement. National sovereignty should not be sacrificed just because the Philippine government will be asking for more foreign investments and grants from the US." “More on than the cost-cutting for the trip, we expect that the Philippine president will somehow address the issue of the unequal relations between the US and the Philippines," Reyes said in an article posted on the Bayan website on Sunday. Bayan will keep tabs on: * The RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement and US military aid for the Philippines; * US aid such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s $434-million RP grant; * A possible RP-US Free Trade Agreement; and * Foreign investments Reyes alleged that the VFA shows that RP-US relations are unequal, and that it is time the Philippine president “stand for national interest and abrogate this one-sided pact." “It is time the Philippine president demand the withdrawal of US forces in Mindanao. We support moves by the Philippine Senate, including a resolution filed by Sen. Miriam Santiago, calling for the termination of the VFA," Reyes said. As for the signing of the $434-million MCC grant, Bayan warned of the neo-liberal economic impositions that go along with such grants. “The MCC was created and funded by the US government under George W. Bush. It is a foreign policy instrument that promotes discredited neo-liberal economic policies for third world countries in exchange for so-called aid. Its current board chair is the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton," Reyes said. He claimed that grants and aids are used to advance US economic and political interests in the guise of promoting democracy and good governance. “In exchange for such grants, the US wants us to further open up our country, even to the point of a possible bilateral free trade agreement. The MCC grant in effect will only reinforce unequal and disadvantageous economic ties with the US," Reyes said. On the issue of jobs and investments, Bayan cautioned that the US economy remains in a deep and prolonged recession. The group questioned the tact of trying to seek more investments and jobs from a country already reeling from recession. “There are limits to the investments and jobs available for the Philippines, especially now that the US economy itself is in crisis. It is strange that the Philippine government continues to pin its hopes on the US economy in spite this economic crisis," Reyes said. The Philippine government should be exploring ways to strengthen and develop our domestic economy and national industries, and decrease our dependence on foreign investments," he added. –VVP, GMANews.TV