Binigyang linaw ng chairman at co-chairman ng Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum kung bakit wala ang Estados Unidos sa isinasagawang pulong ngayon.
Ayon kina Speaker Martin Romualdez at Senate President Migz Zubiri, Thanksgiving ngayon sa America kaya’t hindi makapunta ang mga delegado.
Sabi pa ni Speaker Romualdez, hiniling ng US na ilipat ng Enero ang pulong ngunit puno na sa PICC kung saan idinadaos ang APPF.
Punto pa ni SP Zubiri, mahalagang okasyon ang Thanksgiving para sa mga Amerikano.
“No. They’re invited. It’s Thanksgiving now. They wanted to come but it’s Thanksgiving it’s like Christmas. They’re asking if we can make it [on] January. If we make it January. Puno daw [PICC],” sabi ni Speaker Romualdez.
“We invited the US. Nobody wanted to, because it’s Thanksgiving. Nobody could come. They wanted us to move… It’s Thanksgiving. Kasi parang Easter nila yan e,” saad naman ni Senate President Zubiri.
Sa hiwalay na pahayag, natanong kasi ni Sen. Imee Marcos kung bakit hindi nakadalo ang US sa APPF at kung hindi ba sila naimbitahan sa pulong.
“The APPF is sadly blighted by the absence of the US, surely the major Pacific power. Did we fail to invite the Americans in time? Was there some failure of coordination which ultimately led to their absence? Certainly, the Americans understand the importance of their participation for any meaningful dialogue for peace and security in this vast region,” saad sa pahayag ni Sen. Marcos.| ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
