Duterte’s large-entourage to Russia questioned
Manila, Philippines – “The inclusion of a bunch of political parasites irrelevant to Duterte’s state visit to Russia is tantamount to a junket. This is so immoral and the administration is duty-bound to account how the hard-earned taxpayers’ money was spent on his large entourage,” according to the militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Friday, referring to the 5-day official state visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Russia.
Aside from the 14 official delegations, some avid Duterte supporters who joined the chartered flight to Moscow included Mocha Uson, Philip Salvador, lawyer Larry Gadon and Cesar Montano.
“How could President Duterte allow a junket of irrelevant and unnecessary individuals? What are their responsibilities in a supposedly state functions and official meetings abroad, when key cabinet members are already there,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
PAMALAKAYA stated the irony of the large-entourage and its cost when President Duterte himself has prohibited government officials and personnel to go on travel junkets by signing the Executive Order No. 77 early this year.
“The free-riders in this Russian trip under the guise of state visit would be a waste of the Filipino people’s money and thus, constitute a high crime of corruption,” ended Hicap. ###
