HOUSE Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte will only allow three to four legislators to join President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III in his foreign trips, this if the executive will invite members of Congress.
“If he doesn’t invite us (then we won't send representatives). Meron ng sinabi na gustong sumama pero it's not up to me,” Belmonte told reporters.
He added that the House is limiting the number of congressmen to join Aquino to avoid huge expenses.
Aquino is set to visit the United States for a week starting September 20 where a meeting between him and US President Barack Obama will possibly take place. He will attend there the United Nations General Assembly.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has earlier prepared a list for Aquino to attend before the year ends, which includes the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam in October and the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels from October 4 to 5.
Belmonte also disclosed that around six congressmen were already invited to conferences abroad scheduled in the coming months which he approved.
“More or less okay naman sa akin because those were legitimate trips," he said. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)