Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list Representative Antonio Tinio urged the government to disclose the Hong Kong trip itinerary of President Rodrigo Duterte last week to prove that there’s still a transparency under the current leadership of the former Davao City Mayor.
According to Tinio, as a public official, President Duterte should disclose the information about the trip even if his travel is for personal purposes.
“Para sa akin dapat i disclose ng Malacanang kung ano ang naging buong agenda at itinerary ni Pangulong Duterte nung nag punta siya sa Hong Kong, dahil Presidente siya ng Pilipinas ang ginamit niya sa pag punta doon ay government funds and resources,” Tinio said.
The lawmaker also said that aside from Makabayan bloc, the public also demanded a transparency over the trip of the President.
“Kailangan may transparency dito, in fact kailangan may official records yung trip na yon, hindi pwedeng sabihin na private o personal trip yun, so hinihingi ng publiko ang buong impormasyon,” Tinio said.
Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus also slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for being insensitive after he flew in another country while his countrymen are suffering from inflation.
She called the Hong Kong trip of President Duterte “unethical”.
“Nakakagalit din naman talaga, sa gitna ng kagutuman, sa gitna ng pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin at tuloy tuloy na pag taas ng presyo ng langis, Presidente mo namimili sa Hong Kong pa,” De Jesus said.
De Jesus also pointed out that the store where President Duterte was spotted buying clothes can also be found in the Philippines.
She suspected that the President’s shopping in Hong Kong was only a diversionary tactic to cover his real travel agenda.
“May Uniqlo naman talaga dito kung gusto niya, tingin ko yun ang gusto niyang (Duterte) pag usapan, kasi may iba siyang agenda siguro sa Hong Kong kasi alam naman natin lahat na yung period na yun ang problema niya eh yung result ng kanyang health laboratory exam,”
Special Assistant to President Christopher “Bong” Go already denied that the Chief Executive did a shopping spree in Hong Kong.
“Hindi totoo iyan. Walang may hawak na bundle-bundle na pera. Intriga lang iyan so prove it. Wala hong katotohanan iyan,” Go told reporters in a phone interview.