Senator wants audit of APEC 2015’s P10-B tab

Senator Francis Escudero is calling for an audit of the almost P10 billion that was spent for the country's preparations and actual hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings over the past year.

Escudero, former chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said he would ask for a breakdown of the government's expenses for the APEC and the arrangements made with private sector partners when budget hearings resume.

"Halimbawa, gusto kong malaman kung yung mga BMWs ba or Mercedes Benz at Hi-Ace, tayo ba ang gumastos dun? Dinonate ba yun ng mga kumpanya o binenta bang segunda-manong mas mura? O magkano ba ang binigay natin sa kanila para gawin yun?" Escudero asked.

GMA News Online is still trying to get Malacañang's comment as of posting time.

"Let's review what has been done, what was spent, and see the cost-benefit, if it's worth it," Escudero said at a roundtable discussion where he was asked if he thinks the benefits to be gained from hosting the trade summit was worth it.

"After the fact, that's when we will see where the P10 billion went," he said. "I think the government might have spent more than P10 billion but this was not all charged to the APEC expenditure."

Escudero said funds have been set aside for the APEC even in the years prior to 2015.

He said most of these to building and fixing infrastructure in Iloilo, where meetings and dialogues between APEC member-economies have been held since July.

"Bubusisiin namin kung sapat ba o hindi, kung sobra ba yung P10 billion. The answers will come after the APEC," Escudero said. —NB, GMA News