MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spent more on foreign travels during his first six months in office compared with former President Rodrigo Duterte’s final fiscal year, state auditors noted.
In its annual audit report on the Office of the President (OP), the Commission on Audit (COA) said there was an increase of P367 million in the OP’s expenses for foreign travel.
In 2021, the audit agency said, the OP under Duterte only spent P25.2 million in foreign travels.
The country was then still reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with the government imposing lockdowns and travel restrictions. But for 2022, half of which was already under Mr. Marcos, the OP spent more than the expenses in 2021, with the COA recording P392.3 million for the President’s foreign trips.
Marcos’ travel expenses were also much higher compared to Duterte’s foreign travels in 2019, when the latter spent only P365.9 million.
First few trips
In 2018, Duterte spent more with P402.1 million for his foreign trips.
“[A] Significant increase of P367,052,245.96 is due to the official travels relative to the foreign summits and state visits attended by the President during the year (2022) in Singapore, Indonesia, United States of America, Cambodia, Thailand and Belgium,” the COA said in the report.
The President’s first overseas trip was in Indonesia, from Sept. 4 to 6, 2022, followed by his trip to Singapore, from Sept. 6 to 7, again for a state visit.
Mr. Marcos flew to New York for the 77th United Nations General Assembly from Sept. 18 to 24. From Nov. 10 to 11, he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
58% more for 2024
Marcos flew to Bangkok, Thailand, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit from Nov. 16 to 19. His final travel for 2022 was in Brussels, Belgium, for the Asean-European Union Commemorative Summit from Dec. 12 to 14.
For 2024, Mr. Marcos is seeking P1.408 billion for local and foreign trips, a 58-percent jump compared to his travel budget for this year.
As for his local travels, COA reported a decrease as he only spent P10.7 million for 2022, compared to the P11.5 million spent by Duterte in 2021.
The auditors noted that for the OP’s overall travel expenses, it spent a total of P403 million for domestic and foreign trips compared with P36.8 million in 2021 under Duterte, thus an increase of P367 million.
Palace defends hike
Malacañang on Wednesday defended the higher travel expenses of Marcos in 2022.
In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Velicaria Garafil said 2021 “was the height of the pandemic when mobility was restricted, with lockdowns implemented all throughout the country.”
With the opening of the economy and lifting of restrictions in 2022, Garafil said, Marcos has been traveling around the country to ensure government’s programs and aid would reach intended beneficiaries as part of postpandemic recovery efforts.
“Directly connecting with the local governments, local communities and sectoral groups is an integral part of the President’s decision-making process,” Garafil said.
“The Office of the President has received a huge volume of invitations for international events, conferences, high-level meetings, and state visits, among others, and the OP has acceded to some of these requests, knowing that the country and the public, in general, will benefit immensely from the President’s participation in these engagements,” she added.
Since assuming office on June 30 last year, Mr. Marcos has made 14 foreign trips, including one to Singapore to watch a Formula 1 Grand Prix race in October 2022. (Dempsey Reyes, Nestor Corrales © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
