By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Thursday expressed confidence that the country’s current political environment will not significantly affect the positive economic outlook in the Philippines, citing the administration’s sound economic policies.
In a Palace press briefing, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the administration remains focused on achieving the targets set in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
He said that historically, the Philippine economy was undeterred by political tensions in the past as economic policies are “broadly sustained.”
“I don’t think these political noises would have any impact on the economy. What is important is that our economic policies, our economic policy directions are sound and sustained,” Balisacan said.
“In fact, that has been the case for the Philippines since late 1990s, that the economy continued to progress despite the political noises simply because the economic policies and our directions have been broadly sustained,” he added.
The NEDA chief noted that for as long as the government stays on course with its economic priorities and programs, the business community will maintain its confidence in the economy.
“The impact of noises like what we have now, if there’s any, would be quite minimal,” he said.
More investments are also coming in despite the ongoing political tensions, according to Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque.
“A lot of investors are coming and we are pursuing those investments. They haven’t mentioned anything about these things that are happening,” Roque said in the same press briefing.
Over the weekend, Vice President Sara Duterte unleashed an expletive-filled tirade against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
She also claimed to have contracted an assassin to kill the President, should a supposed plot against her succeed.
Malacañang fired back and described Duterte’s statement as an “active threat.”
Law enforcement agencies, along with the Department of Justice, also began investigations over the Vice President’s threat.