Palace clarifies ‘request’ for meeting between Aquino and Gates

Malacañang on Friday confirmed that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier requested to meet with President Benigno Aquino III.

However, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the group eventually withdrew their request for unspecified reasons.

The information was given to media days after Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños.

“The President receives requests for courtesy calls and I can tell you that the foundation sent a request for a courtesy call sometime in November 2014 but it was withdrawn. So it’s not that the President ignored him,” Valte said when asked why Aquino did not meet with Gates.

She said they are still confirming whether the reports of his visit were true.

“What we do know is that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports the research of IRRI on golden rice,” she added, referring to a rice hybrid that is infused with beta carotene and other vitamins.

Valte said it would be good promotion for the country if Gates did visit the Philippines.

“Considering that Mr. Gates and his wife are globally known personalities, it would—if true, then it would certainly be a very good boost to Philippine tourism,” she said. “Again, if true—I’m hoping that they enjoyed their stay in the country.”

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, citing sources from IRRI, reported that Gates visited the headquarters on Wednesday.

READ: Bill Gates secretly visits rice institute for 6 hrs

The report said Gates stayed there for six hours. He was said to have arrived in the Philippines on April 4 or Black Saturday.

Another set of sources from immigration said Gates arrived in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan on April 4 aboard a private jet.

The last time Aquino and Gates were spotted together was at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland in 2013.