Aquino to return home from Vietnam Sunday after ‘successful’ visit

President Benigno Aquino III will return to the Philippines Sunday after what Malacañang termed a “successful" visit to Vietnam earlier this week. Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte on Saturday said Aquino will issue an arrival statement upon his return regarding his state visit and his participation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. “He will return Sunday because his state visit and his attendance at the ASEAN summit are over," she said in Filipino on government-run dzRB radio. She said Aquino’s flight is scheduled at “3 or 3:30" but did not elaborate. Flag carrier Philippine Airlines’ website indicates a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Manila on Sunday is scheduled to depart at 3:30 p.m. and arrive in Manila 7:05 p.m. “He is set to make an arrival statement as he did when he came back from successful visit to the United States," Valte said. Meanwhile, Valte said Aquino had a packed schedule for Saturday, including:

• Bilateral meeting with New Zealand
• 5th East Asia Summit
• Courtesy call to Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, after lunch hosted by the Vietnamese leader for heads of state attending the East Asian Summit
• 2nd ASEAN-Russia Summit
• Bilateral meeting with Australia
• ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit
• Closing ceremony of the 17th ASEAN Summmit

Asked if the Palace considers Aquino’s trip successful, Valte said, “from all accounts the president was able to meet with all heads of state and heads of government" who attended the summit. — LBG, GMANews.TV