Noy back in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino arrived early last night after state visits to New Zealand and Australia, and will be consulting a doctor today regarding his upset stomach that forced him to skip the state dinner in Canberra.

“We will consult with the doctors upon his arrival. We have a Presidential Security Group physician there. We also have his physician. So we don’t know who, specifically. I know of someone but I don’t know if that doctor would like to have his name disclosed,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Aquino arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on a chartered Philippine Airlines flight PR 001, together with members of the Cabinet and business executives.

During his Australian state visit, the President skipped the state dinner in his honor and left after the traditional toast and speeches were delivered.

Aquino also still wore a hand brace and was suffering from a bum stomach as he went through his state visit in New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington), which was the first leg of the presidential trip.

According to sources, Aquino felt a stomach ache on the plane from Wellington, where he had met with Prime Minister John Key. He also went to Auckland to meet with business groups and the Filipino community.

“Maybe we ate too much or there was something we ate that upset our stomachs,” one of the sources said.

Another source said the President bore the pain while he was being welcomed and given arrival honors by the governor-general of the Commonwealth of Australia at Government House, but he was not able to bear it through the entire evening.

“After hearing both speeches, I have wished I had been in more perfect health. The speech that was prepared for this evening seems so wholly inadequate. Unfortunately, this is a question of the spirit wanting and the body not cooperating at this point in time,” Aquino said.

Stronger cooperation

As this developed, Sen. Loren Legarda said she is looking forward to stronger bilateral and security cooperation between Australia and the Philippines following Aquino’s visit to Australia.

Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, also said that the Philippines’ ratification of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) with Australia will further enhance bilateral defense and military cooperation between the two countries.

“Australia is the largest bilateral grant aid donor to the Philippines,” Legarda said.

Since 2001, Australia has extended aid investment of around P32 billion, while defense assistance is estimated at P1.16 billion.

“With President Aquino’s state visit to Australia, we are hopeful that this will open more areas of cooperation and bolster defense and security cooperation between our two countries,” the senator said, adding that Australia has programmed approximately $235-million aid for 2010-2012.

It assists the Philippines in developing capacities in the field of disaster risk reduction and management, such as in the project enhancing greater Metro Manila’s institutional capacities for effective disaster/climate risk management towards sustainable development or the READY project. This strengthens institutional capacities of local government units and national government agencies to manage disaster and climate change risks.

Meanwhile, the SOVFA is intended to enhance cooperation on maritime terrorism and other security threats. It defines the rights as well as the responsibilities between the visiting forces and the host government on such matters as criminal and civil jurisdiction, claims, entry and exit of personnel and property, movement of vessels, aircraft and vehicles and carrying of arms, among others.

“Today’s security challenges require that we strengthen our defense posture through a regime of cooperation with allies with whom we share strategic security interests. Fostering strong defense relations with partners, through SOVFA, is a good defense strategy anchored on national interest, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right to self-determination,” Legarda said. – With Christina Mendez