President Duterte’s economic team on Thursday has laid out at the World Economic Forum (WEF) the administration’s plan for the Philippines, highlighting the ambitious infrastructure projects it intends to roll out in the next six years.
Speaking at a group of local and foreign reporters, the President’s economic team began their presentation with confidence, reiterating what they already unveiled during the Dutertenomics Forum mid-April.
Duterte’s most trusted aides, however, had to explain at length how the administration intends to carry out its infrastructure program. The President’s economic team was first asked about updates on the infrastructure projects being implemented by the new administration. This was raised by Adrian Monck, head of public and social management of the WEF.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the administration is really focused on developing existent airports than establishing new ones, citing feasibility studies point to the former than the latter.
Tugade said the administration is dead set on enhancing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport. “We really want to develop the terminals at Clark International Airport and develop two state-of-the-art runways there.”
He said this will be complimented by a railway project, which would lessen travel time from Clark to Manila by more than two hours.
Tugade revealed there are two proposals to open new airports, which have reached their office recently: first was to establish one in Bulacan, where the proponent pitched to build an airport with four runways; and second was to establish one in former US military base Sangley, where proponents aim to build not just an airport but a city, as well.
Participants had also wanted to know whether or not the “massive” infrastructure effort is environment-friendly.
Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said the administration has allotted P150 billion for disaster-mitigation programs, which he claimed to be enough to support the Philippines should it be hit by another calamity.
The administration was given the opportunity to present its so-called Dutertenomics at the WEF after organizers agreed to give the Philippines the chance to persuade international businessmen to invest in Manila’s infrastructure projects.
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So why use the world grilled? This is the problem with reporters. Their reports show there biases. People asking for explanations is expected in any forum.
I believe that to put in proper perspective and thereby correct and dispel once and for all the accusations being heaped on the Philippine government by its denigrators, President Rodrigo Duterte should welcome with no restrictions the United Nations’ formal investigation of its war on illegal drugs and its alleged violations of human rights in pursuing that war. The President really has nothing to lose when he does this; in fact, the UN findings could even help the Philippine government fine-tune its war on drugs and help bolster its acceptance in the international community. However, to ensure a fair and impartial investigation, the UN by necessity should exclude from the investigating mission all of its operatives who, even long before the investigation could take place, already declared that (1) President Duterte is guilty of engaging in the “massive extermination” of drug pushers and drug users, and that (2) the war on methamphetamine (shabu) is a needless and cruel war because of these operatives’ long-held belief and advocacy that shabu is a harmless entertainment drug despite mountains of medical and forensic evidence to the contrary.
For being the most vocal, persistent, and devious advocates of this wrongheaded view of the Philippine drug situation, UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard and her self-styled drug expert Dr. Carl Hart—on record as a petty criminal, drug addict, and drug pusher when he was a teenager—should summarily be disqualified from joining or participating in this investigative undertaking. For its part, the Philippine government should ask its Human Rights Commission Chairman Jose “Chito” Gascon to go on leave—better still demand that he resign his post—for his unconscionable betrayal of the Philippine government by (1) denigrating President Duterte’s human rights record and drug war openly and covertly, and by (2) demonstrating canine loyalty to his handlers in the organized Opposition to topple the Duterte administration. With this set of precautionary measures in place, the Philippines can let the UN investigation proceed untrammeled by doubts that it will be done impartially. The investigation and its outcome will also be effectively shielded from the manipulation of political, ideological, and vested interests in the worldwide commerce of dangerous drugs.