Economic team focused on wooing investors amid Marcos-Duterte row

The economic team of the Philippine government remains focused on drafting guidelines that seek to generate more jobs and bring more investors into the country amid the ongoing row between the country’s two highest officials, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Tuesday.

According to Pangandaman, the economic cluster continues to draft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act.

"Well, at least for the economic team, tuloy tuloy lang kami (we just continue), all systems go. We’re still on track,” she told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Islamic Finance Roadshow in Makati City on Tuesday.

“In fact, we just signed the CREATE MORE, so the agencies in charge are working on drafting the IRR, and then next year we are scheduled to go abroad again for the economic briefings, so tuloy tuloy lang ang trabaho for us (work just goes on for us),” she added.

Pangandaman was asked whether the ongoing tensions between the country’s two highest officials have any impact on the Cabinet after Vice President Sara Duterte said she spoke with someone to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were slain.

‘Wag kang mag-alala sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, ‘pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez (Do not worry about my security because I already spoke with someone. I told that person that if I were to be slain, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez),” she said.

Duterte later said her remarks were not a threat and that she only highlighted the alleged threat to her security. She also compared this to her earlier declaration that should attacks against her continue, she would excavate the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and throw them in the West Philippine Sea.

On Monday, Marcos pledged to prevent "criminal attempts," stating that if assassinating a sitting president was that simple, imagine how much easier it would be for ordinary citizens.

“‘Yang ganyang kriminal na pagtatangka ay hindi dapat pinapalampas. ‘Yan ay aking papalagan, (Criminal attempts like that should not be ignored. I will fight back)” he said.

Pangandaman stated in the same interview that the economic cluster will conduct more overseas roadshows in 2025, particularly in the United States, where a leadership change is scheduled for January.

"We have a chance to go out and promote CREATE MORE," she said while also noting the new Government Procurement Act. — VBL, GMA Integrated News