By Lane Afable, News Editor
Senate leaders have expressed support for studying the possible postponement of the Philippines’ hosting of this year’s ASEAN Summit as part of efforts to cut government spending and redirect funds to address the impact of rising oil prices.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said that this is something that the executive can study.
“The times call for such a possible move,” Sotto said.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson also said the proposal, originally raised by former Finance Secretary Gary Teves, deserves careful consideration by the executive branch.
“Former Secretary Gary Teves’ proposal merits at least serious study and possible reconsideration. I think our ASEAN neighbors would understand,” he said.
Teves earlier suggested that the government review whether it could defer hosting the ASEAN Summit and related meetings, so the ₱17 billion allocated for the event could instead be used for subsidies and other programs to cushion the effects of the Middle East conflict on the Philippine economy.
Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos proposed scaling down the country’s hosting of the summit if postponement is not feasible, suggesting a simpler and less costly event.
She also said the gathering could be used to secure commitments from ASEAN member-states with oil resources, such as Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, to help ensure petroleum supply for the Philippines. Marcos added that the regional bloc could explore coordinated negotiations with oil-producing countries such as Russia and Iran.
“Kung nakakahiya na i-postpone, ituloy na lang natin as meetings, simplified nang todo (If postponing it would be embarrassing, then we should just proceed with it as meetings, but keep it as simple as possible) and use [the] opportunity to meet and ask for support from oil-producing members,” she said.
The senator reiterated her earlier opposition to the P17-billion budget for ASEAN-related meetings, which she described as excessive during deliberations on the 2026 national budget.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian shared the same sentiment, stating that it would be better to simply reduce spending.
The 48th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit and related meetings are scheduled to take place in Cebu in May, while the 49th Summit is set in Pasay City in November.
The Philippines has also been hosting foreign ministers’ retreats since January as part of its commitments as host.
