An opposition lawmaker said Saturday it is immoral on the part of the government to spend billions of pesos on foreign trips while almost three million Filipinos are starving.

“Many people are starving to death. I believe it is immoral for the leaders of the country to use huge funds just for their travel abroad,” said party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC).

The young lawmaker issued the statement a day after Malacañang assured that President Arroyo’s foreign travels are worth every centavo.

Malacañang said Saturday that it is ready to provide the public a comprehensive account of the benefits from President Arroyo’s foreign trips.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde made the reaction in response to Sen. Francis Escudero’s remark on Arroyo’s alleged billion-peso spending from foreign trips in the last five years.

“We’re ready [to release a report] because it is the responsibility of the government,” adding that Malacañang has always been giving the press a comprehensive report on the President’s trips abroad.

Remonde said that as the country’s “top salesman,” it must be understood that it is the President’s responsibility to be engaged in international affairs.

He said Escudero would also have to get actively involved in international affairs if he would become president of the country.

“What kind of a president will he be if he will not actively get involved in international affairs?” Remonde asked.

“Our world has now become a global village, a global economy – no one nation can exist on its own and any responsible leader or head of government must engage actively in international affairs because a global engagement is one of our sources of a stronger economy,” he said.

Remonde said that there are two main reasons for the President’s foreign trips: Trade relations, investment and development potentials as well as dialogues with overseas Filpino workers (OFWs).

“The reason for all these foreign trips is that the beneficiaries are the people of the Philippines,” he said.

Remonde stressed that the OFWs are among the main reasons for Arroyo’s visits abroad because the OFWs are significant to the country’s economic growth.

Also, an opposition lawmaker said Saturday it is immoral on the part of the government to spend billions of pesos on foreign trips while almost three million Filipinos are starving.

“Many people are starving to death. I believe it is immoral for the leaders of the country to use huge funds just for their travel abroad,” said party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC).

The young lawmaker issued the statement a day after Malacañang assured that President Arroyo’s foreign travels are worth every centavo.

The President has drawn flak over her frequent travels using public funds. She just ended her nine-day trip to Japan and Brazil on Friday and was expected to make a private visit to Hong Kong before returning to Manila on Monday.

Villanueva said it was morally wrong for the government to spend such huge amount for “foreign junkets.”

He said the amount could have gone a long way if used to fund job generation programs to help poor Filipinos.

SOURCE: Manila Bulletin By MADEL R. SABATER, June 27, 2009