DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte is doing away with his usual chartered flight when he flies to Singapore today for the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders Summit from Nov. 12 to 15.
The President is also bringing along only a few officials, including Secretaries Carlos Dominguez III of finance and Teodoro Locsin Jr. of foreign affairs, who are participating in the discussions during the summit.
Dominguez, Locsin and the President’s staff are taking separate flights.
Duterte will also take a private jet from Singapore when he proceeds to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference for 2018 from Nov. 16 to 18.
This is the third time that the President has taken a private jet for an overseas trip, aside from his flight to Singapore last April also for the ASEAN Leaders meeting and Bali, Indonesia last month for the ASEAN Leaders meeting with International Monetary Fund and World Bank officials.
Duterte is expected to return from PNG on Sunday evening.