Philippines 'all systems go' for ASEAN Summit—Palace
Malacañang said preparations for the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit are on track, with all systems in place ahead of the regional gathering from May 7 to 8.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, who chairs the ASEAN National Organizing Committee, has already briefed President Marcos on the status of preparations.
“All systems go po. Handa po tayo (All systems go. We are ready),” she said Thursday, April 23.
However, Castro said adjustments might be considered for some meetings, including the possibility of shifting certain sessions to a virtual format after local officials in Cebu said some meetings may no longer be held face-to-face as part of government austerity measures.
The Palace official, however, said there is no final decision yet on whether some parts of the summit will be conducted online.
“Tingnan lang po natin… hindi pa po ako nabibigyan ng update patungkol po diyan (We will see… I have not yet been given an update on that),” she said.
Last month, President Marcos said that the Philippines' hosting of the ASEAN Summit in May will proceed as scheduled despite the energy crisis caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East.
However, Marcos said it will only be a "barebones ASEAN Summit," stressing that it would only focus on key pressing topics such as the supply of petroleum products, food supply, and the situation of migrant workers.
The President disclosed that he has spoken with his counterparts to ask whether or not to go ahead with the summit. They all agreed to continue as scheduled, he said.
Political issues won’t affect hosting
Meanwhile, Castro dismissed concerns that domestic political issues could affect the country’s hosting of the summit.
She said ongoing issues involving Vice President Sara Duterte and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez will not impact preparations.
“Hindi po ito makakaapekto sa Pangulo (This will not affect the President),” she said.
Castro emphasized that preparations are being handled by the Cabinet and relevant government agencies.
She noted that the Vice President is not involved in organizing the summit.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) told congressmen on Wednesday, April 22, that it had flagged nearly P6.8 billion worth of transactions from bank accounts linked to Vice President Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, from 2006 to 2025.
On the other hand, former House Speaker Romualdez, in a video message, said he will "fully defend himself" from allegations of involvement in the flood control projects mess, which, he claimed, was being turned into a “political demolition job.”