By Azer Parrocha/PNA
MANILA — Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio ran into each other in an event in Iloilo on Thursday, just a few days after they disagreed over issues concerning Chinese loans to the Philippines.
Panelo shared with the media a selfie of him and Carpio taken during an Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) National Convention, held at the Marriott Hotel in Iloilo City.
“Just now here in Marriot Hotel lloilo. We are both here for the IBP National Convention,” he said in a message to reporters.
According to Panelo, he and Carpio “exchanged pleasantries” but did not elaborate what they talked about.
Panelo said he and Carpio are fraternity brothers in Sigma Rho at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law.
Earlier, Carpio expressed concern that China could seize gas from the Reed Bank should the Philippines fail to pay its loan deal for the PHP3.69-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Project.
The Reed Bank is a sea feature within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Panelo, however, described Carpio’s remark as “misplaced”, insisting that the Reed Bank is a public property and therefore cannot be given away.
The Presidential spokesperson further said an enabling law or a Presidential proclamation is needed to convert a public property into a patrimonial property.
Officials of the Department of Finance (DOF) also assured that the Philippine government did not offer any of its natural resources as collateral in securing the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project.
Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin likewise allayed critics’ fears anew that the Philippines could fall into China’s debt trap, saying the government has never reneged on its debt obligations.
Agabin pointed out that Philippine laws, particularly Presidential Decree 1177, require automatic appropriation in the national budget for debt obligation.
