THERE was no extra cost spent on Cabinet members’ flight to Davao City for their meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Tuesday.
In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that Cabinet members boarded a C-295 along with medical supplies destined for Davao so they did not have to shell out funds.
“Ang sinakyan po namin C-295, cargo. Kasama po namin medical supplies intended for Davao so incidental po kami. Wala pong extra cost,” he said.
Roque said he was willing to release photos showing how their staff members looked inside the aircraft.
“If you want, I will publish a picture po kung ano ang sitwasyon nung mga staff namin na nakasakay dun sa cargo area ng eroplano. It’s a lot of sacrifice po and there was no expense spent just for us. We were incidental passengers in a full cargo flight,” he said.
On Monday, netizens raised questions over the total expenses made by Cabinet members and Duterte for their trips to Davao City.
Some suggested Cabinet members could simply meet the President thru video conference.
From time to time, Duterte goes back to his hometown to assess the situation in Mindanao.
On Nov. 20, the national government reverted Davao City to a stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) classification following a rise in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city.
To address this, a One Hospital Command Center was established in the city to ensure an efficient referral system as private hospitals are mandated to increase their ward bed occupancy by at least 20 percent to 30 percent.
Efforts were made to address the shortage of nurses in health facilities and to provide additional high-oxygen cannula, Favipiravir (Avigan), Remdesivir, medical equipment, among others.
Accommodation establishments were tapped to serve as quarantine facilities for health workers as well as the isolation of positive cases of COVID-19.
Law enforcement agencies were directed to assist in the enforcement of granular lockdowns on affected communities or clusters, and if necessary, deploy personnel in the city. Philippine News Agency
