Trip to Colombia: Private, not secret

MANILA, Philippines – Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said yesterday there was nothing secret in President Arroyo’s unannounced “private trip” to Cartagena, Colombia last Sunday after coming from a stopover in Los Angeles, California en route to Brazil.

Remonde said businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, who has a house in Colombia, invited Mrs. Arroyo.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita added that such a trip could not be secret as there were others who were part of the trip.

Earlier, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay asked the President to explain her side trip to Colombia and frequent side trips to Dubai.

Binay said Mrs. Arroyo made an unscheduled detour to Colombia, the latest of her frequent side trips to countries not on her official itinerary.

“These side trips have become more frequent in the past months and since Mrs. Arroyo is traveling at taxpayers’ expense, the public deserves to know the reason for these unscheduled visits,’’ he said.

He said Mrs. Arroyo took a side trip to Colombia with members of her family, and that the Department of Foreign Affairs was not aware of it. 

The President will arrive from her visits to Japan and Brazil this weekend.