Government critics laud successful hosting of APEC summit

MANILA, Philippines – Even critics of the administration acknowledge the country’s hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting was a success, despite the massive inconvenience suffered by thousands, especially from heavy traffic and cancelled flights.

Vice President Jejomar Binay stressed the importance of hosting the summit, since 80 percent of the country’s total trade is with APEC member-economies. But he criticized the government’s poor management of traffic in Metro Manila.

“We had a lot of problems because of the traffic,” he said, citing incidents such as reports of a pregnant woman forced to give birth on the road because she was caught in a heavy traffic.

Binay was tasked to welcome some of the heads of state who attended the APEC meet. He also attended the welcome dinner for economic leaders.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the recently-concluded APEC summit could be worth the cost as it showed that the Philippines was capable of hosting an important event attended by world leaders.

In particular, he said that the authorities did a good job in securing the 21 world leaders who flew in to Manila for the annual meet.

“If you are going to host a very important international conference like the APEC that we had, you have to make sure you do it properly, and security is a very large part of that equation. So I’m glad that it was done well and it was well organized,” Marcos said.

He said that the security arrangements, criticized by many as being “overkill,” could be justified for such an event.

“You must make sure nothing bad happens to them. Can you imagine if something were to happen while they were here? No amount of money can buy your reputation back if something bad took place,” Marcos said.

While he has been critical of many of the policies of the current administration, Marcos said that the hosting of the APEC summit is not something that should be taken against the government because it was meant to promote the country to the rest of the world.

He said that the P10 billion that was reportedly spent for the event may not have been too much once a detailed accounting of all the expenditures and benefits is done.

“Of course P10 billion is a great deal of money and we will find out where it all went. But if our economic managers, in their meeting with the other government leaders, have made some advantageous trade arrangements with all these other countries, then we can say it’s worth it,” Marcos said.

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, another staunch critic of the administration, said he would give the government an “A” for the effort in hosting the event.

He said that the benefits of the joint agreements forged between the Philippines and the other governments would not be felt now but in the succeeding months and years.

“Joint agreements are good on paper only until the people actually see (the results). But the APEC is a good beginning. Let us give then an ‘A’ for effort,” Osmeña said over radio dwIZ.

Sen. Francis Escudero said he would demand a detailed accounting from concerned government agencies of the expenses for APEC activities. He said he would formally seek an accounting of the expenses when lawmakers resume deliberations on the proposed P3.002 trillion national budget for 2016.

Escudero said it is the obligation of executive officials to report all the spending details and of Congress to go over them.

More benefits  

Binay, meanwhile, said agreements reached as well as commitments reaffirmed during the APEC meet would redound to the benefit of the country in the long run.

He cited various positive outcomes, such as the announcement of US President Barack Obama of his plans to transfer two additional ships to the Philippine Navy “to bolster the Navy’s ability to conduct long-endurance patrols.”