Palace says no need to call for congressional inquiry on Chinese loans as information can be provided through FOI
Malacanang belittled on Monday the filing of a resolution by an opposition congressman to disclose the loan conditions that the Duterte administration entered into with China.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque advised Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano to just request the Presidential Communications Operations Office for the details of the loans as there is the Freedom of Information being enforced by the executive branch.
"The filing of a resolution is not necessary, we have the Freedom of Information in the Executive. They can just ask (PCOO Assistant Secretary) Kris Ablan, they can be provided," he said.
He said if the House of Representatives would conduct an investigation based on Alejano's resolution, it could only be a waste of the resources of Congress.
House Resolution No. 1612, which Alejano filed, strongly urged Duterte to reveal the loans that his administration sought from China for the sake of transparency.
Alejano has warned the Philippines could risk of entering into debt bondage with lenders, especially China, which has been claiming almost the entire South China Sea, which is also partly being claimed by the Philippines. Celerina Monte/DMS
