P10B spent for a grand party and just to hide the truth

I am still in shock after learning that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit cost the Philippines P10 billion. Was all that money sourced from the Philippines, or did this come from the Apec’s major countries as contributions?

We are asking because, if the Philippine government really spent that much to show off, it was humongous money not well spent. It only gave President Aquino and his rich, powerful friends, including his celebrity sister Kris, the opportunity to rub elbows and hobnob with world leaders. What a waste of money!

Some of that money was even used to hide the truth, which is: The majority of Filipinos are poor and live far below the poverty line by world standards. But instead of making money to invest for the poor and fixing the worsening traffic and public transportation woes, President Aquino decided instead to throw a P10-billion party for his influential friends and the world’s most powerful leaders.

Mr. Aquino meeting US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis (early this year) is not a bad thing at all; but juxtaposed against the fact that the President has never visited Payatas Hills and met anyone from Smokey Mountain, it offers no comfort and neither does it inspire hope for the poorest of Filipinos.

—KYLE XAVIER,[email protected]