Aquino a no show at Camp Aguinaldo summit

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III was a no show at the Second Sustainable Countryside Development Summit Friday morning.
The president was initially set to deliver a keynote speech between 9:30 to 12 noon Friday at the event held at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. was supposed to introduce Aquino as the keynote speaker, according to the program of activities for the event.
Aquino’s speech was read instead by League of Provinces president and Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali, Jr. According to members of the Malacañang Press Corps., Aquino attended a presidential management staff meeting at the Palace.
The Sustainable Countryside Development Summit is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 212, amending Proclamation No. 74 entitled “Declaring Month February as Countryside Development Month” which was signed by the President Benigno Aquino III on August 1, 2011.