Palace dismisses as ‘baseless’ Drilon remark on ‘build’ program

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang dismissed as “baseless” the remark of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon calling the multi-trillion “Build, Build, Build” program of the government as a “dismal failure.”

“It’s baseless,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Drilon told reporters at the Senate that only nine of the 75 flagship projects of the administration have started construction.

READ: Drilon blasts Duterte’s infra program as ‘dismal failure’

Drilon said there was no “substantial progress in so far as the program is concerned will be achieved as I would repeat the execution is simply dismal,” he added.

Palace hits back

Panelo hit back at Drilon, saying the opposition senator should “look at the administration you previously belonged.”

“Six years, not a single infrastructure was made,” he said.

Questionable figure?

Panelo disputed Drilon’s “Build, Build, Build figure.

“Hindi totoo yun. Kailangan tingnan n’yo yung binasa ko para he will educate himself, kulang siguro yung information niya,” he said, after reading the infrastructure projects of the government.

(That’s not true. You should look at what I have read so he can  educate himself, he probably lacks information.)

He challenged Drilon to be the government’s public works secretary to know the works of Secretary Mark Villar, of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“Siguro siya ang mag DPWH secretary para malaman n’ya kung ano ang ginagawa ni Mark Villar. Puring puri nga si Mark Villar kay Presidente eh, magaling, maraming nagawa, batang bata pa,” he said.

(Maybe he can be DPWH secretary so he will know what Mark Villar is doing. Even the President is all praises for Mark Villar, very efficient and he done a lot for a very young guy.) /jpv