Ejercito warns gov’t agencies vs ‘sugarcoated’ Mideast reports
MANILA, Philippines – Government agencies should stop sugarcoating reports on the effects of the Middle East conflict when briefing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Sen. JV Ejercito said Tuesday.
In a press statemet, the senator warned that “incomplete or overly optimistic” reporting could delay the government’s response to the impact of the tensions on the Philippines.
“In this crisis, reports cannot be downplayed or embellished. The President needs to know the whole truth because every wrong piece of information leads to a wrong decision,” Ejercito said.
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“No sugar coating of reports to PBBM. What is needed in the midst of a crisis is not PR but the truth.”
He urged cabinet secretaries and other officials to provide accurate and real-time information, even if they are difficult to convey.
“If the data reaching the President is lacking or incorrect, how can we come up with the right solution? In this era, guesswork is not allowed, facts are needed,” he added.
The country has seen a streak of price hikes to five consecutive weeks since tensions in the Middle East escalated on Feb. 28.
In response, the Congress passed an amendment to the National Revenue Code allowing the president to reduce or suspend excise tax on fuel.
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Subsidies have also been extended to members of the transport sector affected by the increases.
Presently, the government and private oil companies are in the process of contracting oil from other countries as well to ensure enough energy stocks./dp
