Bizmen expected more from Duterte meeting: MBC exec
Rose Carmelle Lacuata, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - Members of the Makati Business Club expected Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to explain his economic plans further during their meeting with the tough-talking politician on Wednesday.
But their expectations were not met, as Duterte failed to go into the specifics of his plans.
Speaking on ANC's "Top Story," Peter Angelo Perfecto, executive director of the Makati Business Club, said members where somehow expecting Duterte to detail his plans, much like what fellow presidential candidates Senator Grace Poe and Mar Roxas did in their previous meetings with the business community.
"I think that was an expectation that he would spell out more concrete and more substantive policies, measures and plans which Senator Poe and Secretary Roxas did, and it was highly appreciated by the members. I think the members, in this particular meeting, went home a little bit...their expectations were not met," he said.
During the meeting, Duterte said he would implement infrastructure projects that were held up under past governments due to a lack of "political will."
"We have to continue with public spending and we have to continue the projects that will ease up congestion in traffic," he said.
He said he would also continue the conditional cash transfer program, which gives the poorest of the poor monthly allowances as long as they keep their children in school.
"I will not hesitate to copy the projects of Noynoy (Aquino) or (Gloria) Arroyo that will redound to the benefit of the people. Hindi ako nahihiya mangopya."
For Perfecto, they would have wanted to hear more about what he would like to do, even if these have been done by previous administrations.
"Even if they were best practices, they should have been identified. If there were things the Arroyo and Aquino administration, if there were policies there that the mayor liked, then he should have said what these were, and if there were things in the platform of the two (Roxas and Poe) that he'd like to copy, it would have been better if he told us and stated clearly what exactly what in these platforms he would adopt," he explained.
"When you have a claim that in six months you will address crime, I think we would expect more detail to that, and particularly the traffic problem, the only thing he did say today was that it may not be solved in 6 years but he will do his best," Perfecto also said.
He added details could have helped businessmen decide who to vote for.
"It is important that somehow, at the very least, I think we were expecting a little bit more detail. I think that's important so that people can make their decision," Perfecto said.
Perfecto however emphasized that the business community is not endorsing any candidate.
"You know the business community is not one cohesive lot. I think there are those who are supporting the senator, some who are supporting the secretary, and some would probably be supporting the mayor. And it's always been like that," he said.
"But yes, it is very important that we're given something more to go forward with rather than just, you know, he's a strong man, he's decisive, he will take the proper action. That is important to the business community, but exactly how that will move forward, how that will be done and how that aggressiveness or that assertiveness will be made to work, we have to understand that as well because that can go in many different directions," Perfecto added.