Who’s minding the store?

With around 200 private sector businessmen and perhaps more than half of that number of government officials, President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Moscow in a four-day official visit. President Duterte left last Monday afternoon to embark on yet another foreign trip in a span of his first 11 months in office.

The presidential entourage flew on board a chartered Philippine Airlines plane for a 13-hour direct flight from Davao City to Moscow. The 72-year old President will spend “private time” in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before he returns to Manila on May 29.

The latest foreign travel of President Duterte came barely less than a week after he arrived from Cambodia, Hong Kong, and China. He first flew last May 10 to Cambodia where he attended the World Economic Forum. Then, the President and his official delegation flew to Hong Kong before they proceeded to Beijing to attend the One Belt, One Road Forum. He returned to the country – as usual on a chartered flight back to Davao City-- only last May 17.

Like in China, the Chief Executive was accompanied anew by long-time partner Honeylet Avanceña and their daughter Kitty who is obviously taking advantage her school vacation to come along with her father’s official sorties abroad. Youngest son Sebastian “Baste” by his ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, joined the presidential trip reportedly for the first time.

In the case of the private sector businessmen, the bulk of them flew ahead to Moscow and paid for their own flight and accommodations. Since the trip to Moscow is an official visit, it is the “host” government that foots the bill for accommodations and inland transport of the President and his official delegation. But this is limited only up to certain number of the official delegation. 

Thus, not all of the Cabinet officials who joined the official visit to Moscow would be covered by Russian hospitality. Their trips there, however, are all paid for by Filipino taxpayers’ money.

The President brought along with him in Moscow 16 of his 23 Cabinet members led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and newly appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

When Medialdea joined the President’s six-day working visit more than a week ago, the Palace announced Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, who was left behind in Manila, was the designated head of the “caretaker” committee. This is not the first time that Medialdea joined the President’s trip abroad. When Medialdea joined last year’s foreign trip of the President, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno was designated to head the “caretaker” committee.

The rest of the official delegation to Moscow included Aguirre, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Ernesto Pernia, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

As earlier announced, bilateral agreements between the Philippines and the Russian Federation will be signed during the course of the official visit. Two of these Duterte Cabinet officials—Lorenzana and Aguirre – will sign with their respective Russian counterparts agreements related to defense cooperation and legal assistance. Trade, economic, and agriculture agreements—Lopez, Pernia, and Piñol are reportedly also set to be signed with concerned Russian ministers.

For the rest of the President’s delegation, they have to report and explain their respective official business, if any, in that trip to Russia.

Incidentally, Philippine National Police Director-General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa again joined President Duterte’s foreign travel. Like in the “working” visit to China, the PNP chief was part of the secondary party of the presidential delegation.

But in a “working” visit, all expenses from plane fare to accommodations and inland transport are not shouldered by the host country.

The same is true with presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella and even newly appointed assistant secretary for social media Mocha Uson who both tagged along again to Russia. The two officials also joined the “working” visits to Cambodia, HK and China.

As official visit, there would be no state banquet even as President Duterte would have four-eyes meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and separate bilateral talks with Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev.

Neither President Duterte nor the Palace announced the designation of official “caretaker” committee before boarding his plane to Moscow. Perhaps an after-thought, the announcement came only a day after the President left for Moscow.

Since Medialdea again joined the latest presidential travel abroad, the President designated the following to compose the “caretaker committee,” namely, Diokno; Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu; PNP deputy Director General Ramon Colet Apolinario; and senior deputy executive secretary Menardo Guevarra as “acting” Executive Secretary.

Actually, the Executive Secretary is automatically the designated “caretaker” of the government whenever the Chief Executive is out of the country for official trips abroad. As the titular “little president,” or the so-called primus inter pares (or first among equals) the Executive Secretary is the direct link of the President to his Cabinet and the rest of the national government wherever and whenever he is physically out of the country.

The head of the “caretaker committee” is tasked, among other things, “to take care of the day-to-day operations in the Office of the President and to oversee the general administration of the Executive Department.”

As I’ve said in the past, the designated “caretaker” committee at Malacanang Palace is merely the conduit of the President through which he conducts the affairs of the state while physically out of the country. With internet and other modern telecommunications equipment, the President can discharge his functions in virtual reality.

As soon as President Duterte steps back to Philippine soil, the “caretaker” committee automatically closes shop. Who’s minding the store? We will ask Sec.Diokno who is our featured guest today at Kapihan sa Manila Bay.