Article by:
Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
NEW YORK CITY – Malacañang on Sunday (New York time) described Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent comments on the government’s repatriation amid the Middle East crisis as baseless.
This, after Duterte criticized the administration’s efforts, saying it was “too easy to send planes” for repatriation and cited friends who returned from Dubai despite an airspace closure.
Duterte also claimed that many overseas Filipinos refused to return due to a lack of employment under the Marcos administration.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the criticism reflects a lack of understanding of the government’s programs and procedures.
“Unang-una po siguro, ‘yan ang problema po sa mga hindi nag-aaral at hindi nag-iisip at hindi inaalam po ano talaga ang programa ng gobyernong ito (First of all, this is the problem with those who do not study, do not think, and do not really know what the government’s programs are),” Castro said.
“So, mas maganda po talaga, ang isang lider natin ay marunong mag-isip, marunong mag-desisyon, hindi para sa sarili lamang, kundi para sa buong bayan (It is much better if our leaders are able to think and make decisions not just for themselves, but for the entire nation),” she added.
Castro emphasized that government decisions are based on facts, overall circumstances, and the needs of stakeholders, rather than isolated anecdotes or personal accounts.
She said relying solely on a friend’s experience or social media reports could lead to poor decision-making.
“Dahil kung diyan po mangagaling ang iyong desisyon, malamang lumigwak, lumigwak ang buong Pilipinas kung puro kaibigan, puro tsismis lang po ang ating pagbabasehan ng desisyon (If decisions were made based solely on such accounts, the entire country would likely suffer if we base our choices only on friends or gossip),” Castro said. (PNA)
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