Malacañang on Tuesday assured the public that the government will observe transparency and accountability in the use of public funds for the Philippines’ hosting of this year’s ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has directed that funds for ASEAN-related activities be properly monitored to prevent any irregularities.
“Nagre-report naman po at makakaasa po kayo dahil ang Pangulo po ay ayaw po niya ng usapin patungkol sa korapsiyon kaya po makakaasa po kayo diyan,” Castro said during a Palace press briefing.
She added that procurement processes for ASEAN events are closely scrutinized, including cost evaluation and the nature of each activity.
“Patungkol po naman sa sinasabi nating procurement, ang proseso po na ito ay mahigpit po na tinututukan at kasama na rin po ang evaluation of cost at ang nature ng event,” she said.
Castro explained that ASEAN meetings are high-level international events, which may qualify for exemptions from standard public bidding under existing rules, allowing alternative procurement methods such as negotiated procurement or direct contracting.
She also addressed criticisms over the use of NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu as a venue for a recent ASEAN-related event, amid concerns about the presence of Muslim delegates from Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
According to Castro, no protocol was violated, stressing that the venue was used strictly as a hotel for an international event.
“There’s nothing to rectify dahil kung ito naman po ay hotel casino at ang nature ng event ay gagamitin po ito para sa isang international event like summit, hindi po para magsugal,” she said.
“Wala naman pong nilalabag na protocol ang bansang Pilipinas. So, iba po kasi ang usapan kung pupunta doon para magsugal,” Castro added.