Duterte says Davao pal in Abe meeting already influential in Japan

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday admitted that one of his friends and campaign contributors joined him during his bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently in Tokyo.

Duterte, however, said that it was not he that brought Davao City businessman Sammy Uy to the meeting.

"You can check this out with the aide of Abe. He was already there. Magkasabay iyan sila, dito pa a week before. Magkatabi na iyan sila dito. They went together. Purely business," Duterte said in an online interview.

Duterte defended Uy from insinuations that the businessman benefitted from his closeness with the president.

"Sammy Uy is one of the billionaires now of Davao. To think during their high school days, doon iyan nagkakasera sa amin... Classmate iyan ng kapatid ko... Lumaki iyan na kilala ako," Duterte said.

Duterte said Uy had been a campaign contributor since 1988, and stressed that the businessman never had transactions with the Davao City government when he was still mayor.

"Even in the first in the return of the election. Tignan mo. Way way back in 1988, nandiyan na ang pangalan niya. You check it. It's in the record. Every election nandiyan na ang pangalan niya," Duterte said.

"He never had any transaction in government," he added.

Duterte said Uy, as a businessman, already had contacts in Japan since he also had suppliers in the country.

"He developed that contact. Whether we like it or not, he is influential already," Duterte said.

In Duterte's May 2016 statement of contributions and expenditures, a Samuel Uy contributed P30 million to his campaign. —NB, GMA News