Dominguez offers special economic briefing to Imee Marcos

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has offered an economic briefing to Senator Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos, to clarify concerns raised by the lawmaker last week.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Dominguez made formal the offer through a letter sent to Marcos on Tuesday, May 26.

"As Chair of the Economic Development Cluster (EDC) of the Duterte administration, I acknowledge the questions and concerns you raised regarding the Philippine economy during the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic last May 20, 2020," the letter read.

"To clarify concerns you and the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs may have on the national economy, particularly on the national accounts, I would like to offer a special briefing to be conducted by a senior official from the EDC at your earliest convenience," it added.

Just last week, Dominguez debunked claims of Marcos that the Masaganing Ani 99 — a program of her father ousted former President Ferdinand Marcos — was a success.

Marcos during the Senate hearing said the DOF could look into the program as a template for the loan programs which would be made available to farmers.

Dominguez, who served as agriculture secretary under former President Corazon Aquino, however, noted that he was among those that needed to clean up the mess brought about by the program.

In the same hearing, Marcos questioned the P130-billion supplemental budget being requested, and told the DOF to take advantage of the Philippine credit rating and increase lending to finance efforts against the coronavirus disease 2019.

Dominguez then responded to Marcos by saying that the Philippines has already borrowing at a historic rate.

In his letter on Tuesday, however, Dominguez said the economic cluster is now studying proposals of Marcos.

"Rest assured that the EDC is studying the points you raised during the Committee hearing," he said.—AOL, GMA News