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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – There was nothing “fishy” or “suspicious” about his June trip to China, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano clarified on Friday.
This was Cayetano’s reaction regarding the accusation of outgoing Ambassador Philip Goldberg that he made an “unpublicized” trip to facilitate multi-billion dollar business deals with China.
“As all of you know I aspired for higher office before. And, for me to fully understand international relations, I went to the US last year, June also. I went to think tanks. I talked to some officials. I met with some of connections we made through out. So, I know I have a handicap when it comes to other nations that are not in that good terms or have tedious relationships with the US,” the running mate of President Rodrigo Duterte in the last elections said.
The senator shared it was his initiative to visit China. He also said he does not need the president to instruct him and he can act on his own volition.
“I am not in the executive branch. Hindi ito parang trip na bibigyan ako ng official orders at may protocol na susundin… But, as a senator I can meet my counterparts. I can travel. There is such thing as inter-parliamentary relations. Hindi parating state department to foreign affairs or foreign affairs to foreign affairs. Marami na ngayon party to party or parliament to parliament or Congress to parliament,” Cayetano explained.
Cayetano, meanwhile, said he will write Foreign Affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. to “complain” and “protest” the actions of Ambassador Goldberg.
He said that he was advised by “a lot of people in foreign relations” that Goldberg’s statement on his and Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade’s China trip was a “breach of protocol.”
According to Cayetano, Tugade is the “alter-ego” of President Duterte so the US official has no business monitoring or criticizing his trip.
He added that as secretary of the transportation department Tugade has been invited by many countries including China and Japan.
“It was something a professional diplomat would not do unless you are really trying to do something in that country… (The Ambassador) is interfering with our local politics and how things are run here.”/PN
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