Aquino cancels Indonesia, Vietnam trips
MANILA, Philippines - New Philippine President Benigno Aquino said Tuesday he had cancelled his planned first overseas trip as leader to Indonesia and Vietnam in keeping with his vow of austerity.
Aquino had planned an overnight visit to Indonesia next month before flying to Vietnam, part of a largely ceremonial round of visits traditionally carried out by newly elected leaders to neighbouring countries.
He said he now intended to meet his Indonesian and Vietnamese counterparts in Hanoi along with the other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 10-nation group's next summit on October 28.
"In keeping with our promise to be more judicious in the way we spend the people's money, especially (with) the fact that we have very little left, I felt it was prudent to have one (Asian) trip rather than two," he said.
However Aquino said the change of plans also came after the Indonesian government advised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono could only receive him in October.
Aquino told reporters his first foreign trip as president would now be to a United Nations summit on September 20, after which he would also attend the signing of a US grant package to the Philippines.
Aquino, who won May presidential elections by a landslide, has sought to portray himself as the opposite of predecessor Gloria Arroyo.
One of her sins was to waste taxpayers' money through frequent foreign trips, according to her critics.
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I am embarrassed! I must
I am embarrassed! I must admit that our policement has no skills and no appropriate equipment to use, but I don't blame them, neither do I blame the President who trusted the expert to deal with the situation. I love my country! I love where I belong! And I'm proud to be a Filipino!
Not only the image of the
Not only the image of the President is stained but the whole Philippines as a government. It's fine if the President will cancel his trip to Indonesia and Vietnam. At least, he's not going to spend more, since the Philippines hasn't got enough money to sustain the whole country due to corruption from the previous administration.
nagpapabango
sa sobrang sira ng imahe ni pnoy, kailangan niyang magpabango ulit by using arroyo again as a scapegoat. kawawang aroyo, ginagamit palagi ni pnoy para bumango ang imahe niya.
Guilty nga!!!!!!!!!
Sa totoo lang walang mukha iharap dahil sa kapalpakan sa hostage crisis ang dahilan kaya di na mag abroad ang ABNOY nyo. Guilty nga!!!!!!!!!!!
Is it? How do you know that
Is it? How do you know that he's guilty? Has he been charged? The Philippines has no money due to the corruption from the Arroyo administration. In her 9 years of reign, did she send those policemen to be trained? Did she buy an appropriate equipment to be used? NONE as is NOTHING!