Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended the size of his delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF), saying they have “to be complete” at the international event when facing global leaders and business tycoons.
“We tried to be complete,” Marcos told reporters on Friday when asked about the criticisms about the Philippine delegation to Davos, Switzerland last Jan. 16 to 20.
“When is the next chance we will get to speak to CEOs of top Fortune 100 companies in the period of two days?” the chief executive said.
“So whoever we get to talk to, kailangan nandun ‘yong secretary na pwede niyang sagutin, pwede niyang kausapin [the specific secretary must be there to answer questions, hold the conversation],” he added.
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives said it is planning to call for an inquiry into the trip and find out who paid for the delegation’s travel expenses.
This is in the wake of a Vera Files report that claimed at least 70 people accompanied the President to Davos.
“Ang sabi nga natin diyan, very lavish. Napakarami naman ang dinalang tao sa Switzerland considering na napakamahal ng mga hotel at saka cost ng transportation, food etc.,” ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro told CNN Philippines’ The Final Word.
[Translation: It’s very lavish. So many people were brought to Switzerland considering that the hotels are very expensive and also the cost of transportation, food etc.]
“Magkaroon ng report ang Presidente dun sa resulta ng kanyang trip sa Switzerland kasama nitong more or less 70 other personnel,” the House deputy minority leader urged.
[Translation: The President should have a report on the result of his Switzerland trip that included more or less 70 other personnel.]
Malacañang on Tuesday identified the following business leaders as part of the delegation: Sabin Aboitiz of Aboitiz & Company, Kevin Andrew Tan of Alliance Global, Jaime Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Group, Lance Gokongwei of JG Summit Holdings, Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., Teresita Sy-Coson of SM Investments, and Enrique Razon of International Container Terminal.
Other government leaders who went were House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, former president and current Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Sen. Mark Villar, Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III, TINGOG Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.
“The delegation was large but half of it was private. They came here on their own,” Marcos added.
For his part, Romualdez said WEF attendees were “actually impressed” with the delegation, adding that it showed a “united front to the entire world.”
“It really impressed them, that was not lost in Davos,” the House speaker said in a chance interview. “People took notice of it and said that the Philippines is back, we are open for business.”
“We demonstrate to WEF and to the world that the President is joined by his economic managers and the executive, alongside the leaders from legislature, that we are working and marching in lockstep with him,” Romualdez added.
This was Marcos’ eighth international trip since he took office on June 30 last year.
Marcos was invited to the WEF by Prof. Klaus Schwab, founder and chair emeritus of the WEF, at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Phnom Penh and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November last year.
He earlier said he was unsure if he will go to WEF because “it’s traveling too much,” following his state visit Beijing on Jan. 3 to 5.
CNN Philippines senior correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
