Rody cancels Brunei trip

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Duterte cancelled yesterday his state visit to Brunei scheduled for today and tomorrow.

He will, however, proceed to Laos to attend the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit.

The President’s decision came after the bomb attack that rocked the Roxas night market here which left 15 people dead and 71 others wounded. 

The President is supposed to meet with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and the Filipino community today in Bandar Seri Begawan in the first leg of his first foreign trip as the new Philippine president.

Filipinos working in Brunei were hoping to meet the President this afternoon at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex. 

The President said he will push through with his official trip to Vientiane, Laos for the ASEAN Summit from Sept. 6 to 8 and then proceed to Jakarta, Indonesia for a state visit from Sept. 8 to 9.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said that while in Laos, Duterte will formally accept the chairmanship of the ASEAN for 2017, with the theme and logo to be unveiled during the summit.

Meanwhile, presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo told Radyo ng Bayan that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea will be designated as the caretaker of the government when President Duterte attends the ASEAN summit.

Business as usual 

For his part, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said President Duterte should go to Laos as planned because skipping the ASEAN event might give the impression that terrorists have succeeded in grounding the President.

“If he goes to Laos as planned, then the President is heeding his own call that terrorism should not disrupt our daily lives,” Recto said. 

He warned that “any cancellation of the President’s debut in the world stage would globalize the fallout from Friday night’s market explosion as terrorists would surely seize the free publicity and brag that they have effectively detained the President.”

The President will be meeting with world leaders including United States President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Laos.

“We need him there to assure the world, especially investors, tourists and businessmen, that while we have been hit by terrorism, government is on top of the situation and everything is under control,” Recto said.“– Edith Regalado, Marvin Sy, Christina Mendez