Biz chamber, DTI focus on investment promotion amid Duterte’s arrest
George Barcelon, chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s largest business organization as well the government’s main agency in trade and investment promotion on Wednesday said they remain focused on economic growth and investment promotion despite the recent arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
George Barcelon, chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), acknowledged the unexpected nature of the situation but emphasized that it was too soon to draw conclusions whether the arrest will have a significant impact on the local business environment.
“Well, so far, what happened, to be honest, was unexpected. So, because it’s unexpected, it’s too early to tell,” he told reporters during an interview in Taguig.
READ: Duterte says he is ‘responsible’ as ICC takes him into custody
Despite the development, Barcelon stressed that businesses remain focused on economic activities.
“Well, life goes on. In our case, we’re in the business side. As you can see, we’re very active trying to attract missions from other countries,” he added.
When asked about the issue, Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said her department remains focused on attracting more investments to the country despite recent developments.
“We just returned from a trip, so we are currently consolidating everything and coordinating with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth rollout of our initiatives,” she said in a separate interview.
Roque recently returned from investment promotion trips to Japan and the United States, where she sought to position the Philippines as a prime destination for foreign investors.
She added that their next trip is scheduled for the end of the month, with Israel as their next stop.
Duterte was arrested on Tuesday upon his arrival from Hong Kong and was flown the same day on a chartered flight to The Hague, Netherlands.
He is set to stand trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s deadly war on drugs.
