MANILA, Philippines —Malacañang on Tuesday dispelled criticisms over the flight of members of the Cabinet to Davao City for their meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, saying their trip had no “extra cost” for the government since they used a military cargo aircraft.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said they boarded C295 along with medical supplies destined for Davao, so they were mere “incidental passengers in a full cargo flight.”
LOOK: Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and other cabinet members are off to Davao City for their meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte. 📷 Harry Roque pic.twitter.com/62XvO2dFIC
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) November 23, 2020
“Ang sinakyan po namin, C295, cargo. Kasama po namin, medical supplies intended for Davao. So incidental po kami, wala pong extra cost,” Roque said in an online briefing.
(We boarded in a C295, cargo. We were with medical supplies intended for Davao. So we were just incidental, there was no extra cost.)
“If you want, I will publish a picture po kung ano ang sitwasyon ng mga staff namin na nakasakay sa cargo area ng eroplano. It’s a lot of sacrifice po. And there was no expense spent just for us. We were incidental passengers in a full cargo flight,” he added.
(If you want, I will publish a picture of our staff’s situation when they boarded the cargo area of the aircraft. It’s a lot of sacrifice. And there was no expense spent just for us. We were incidental passengers in a full cargo flight.)
On Monday, Roque shared a photo of himself with officials like Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on board a plane to Davao City to meet the President.
“Ang tawag po namin dyan sa may upuan, ‘yan ‘yung business class ng military cargo aircraft. ‘Yung nasa cargo storage area mismo, that’s the economy class. Of course, that’s a joke,” he went on.
(We call the area with seats the business class of a military cargo aircraft. The cargo storage area is the economy class. Of course, that’s a joke.)
Netizens raised questions over their trip – whether more government funds were spent for the flight – when a more economical way to conduct a meeting, especially at this time of a health crisis and after successive calamities hit many parts of the country, would be via video conferencing.