‘The li’l narco who met Marco?’
THESE were reportedly the words said by US President Donald Trump when asked by an embedded reporter on Air Force 1 on Senator Antonio Trillanes’ meeting with US Senator Marco Rubio.
It was President Trump’s initial reaction when asked if indeed Trillanes was reportedly the one behind the US president skipping the East Asia Summit also to be held in Manila just after the ASEAN summit. Trillanes went to the US recently to allegedly campaign for President Trump not to attend the ASEAN and ultimately snub the Philippine government which is hosting and leading the event.
Based on our A1 source who flew with Trump going home from an official function in Texas, President Trump considered Trillanes a virtual nobody.
Said Trump, “Senator who? Like I said senator who? The li’l narco who met Marco? How’d he get a visa? Isn’t he wanted, doesn’t he have an arrest warrant or something?” reports said.
President Trump then went on to say he is definitely going to Manila. “I’m going to Manila to meet the main guy. A leaders’ leader, man’s man Rody, we talk from time to time, he’s the head of ASEAN right now, and when you do deal, you deal with the boss.”
Mr. Trillanes obviously does not know about diplomatic protocols that are used when heads of state visit. He cannot just go to the US or any other country, seek an audience with high government officials, say what he wants to say, and expect his intentions to bear fruit. In other words, President Trump sees Trillanes as insignificant while reaffirming his Manila trip and talks with President Duterte, neutral observers noted.
It is also quite evident that as far as President Trump is concerned, President Duterte continues to be the main man for the Philippines. Sorry for Trillanes but his efforts to embarrass President Duterte on the world stage once again miserably failed, much like his failed destabilization antics, according to media reports.
According to Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., director-general for operations of ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council, President Trump is expected to be in the country for the ASEAN summit on Nov. 12-13 and skip the East Asia Summit which included ASEAN members and dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the US.
* * * SMUGGLING CAUSES HUGE REVENUE LOSSES. In a span of five years, the Philippines has lost billions of pesos due to smuggling of products from just eight industries.
A recent study by the University of Asia and the Pacific Center for Research and Communication Foundation, Inc., and the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) reveals that from 2011 to 2015, the government has lost an estimated 1111 billion in revenues from the smuggling of petroleum, steel, resins, wood, cigarettes, sugar, palm oil, and automotive batteries worth more than 1904 billion.
Citing a UN Trademap, the study identified China, USA, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore as the top five partner-countries which the Philippines engages for imports.
Aside from the revenue loss, smuggling has also lowered Gross Domestic Product by 1495.5 billion, household income by 177.2 billion, and displaced 291,070 workers in the above-mentioned industries within the five-year period.
Smuggling also affects the delivery of basic services as the government relies on tax collections to finance its various infrastructure and social development programs nationwide.
This year, President Rodrigo Duterte has certified House Bill 5636, the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, as urgent. The TRAIN bill is the government’s proposed tax-reform package which lowers personal income tax rates and expands the VAT base by imposing excise taxes on commodities such as sugarsweetened beverages and petroleum products.
A number of business sectors, including sari-sari store owners, have opposed the TRAIN bill for being “anti-poor” as it is expected to increase prices of beverage products commonly sold in community stores.