Palace: PNoy didn’t snub Fil-Ams in California during US trip

Malacañang on Sunday dismissed as “baseless” claims that President Benigno Aquino III snubbed members of the Filipino-American community in California on the final leg of his five-day working visit to the United States last week.

According to Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., the President did not have a scheduled appointment with Filipinos living in San Francisco.

“During the short period of time that his plane stopped at San Francisco, the President met with the leaders of two multinational entertainment and banking companies that have expressed interest in investing or expanding their current participation in our country’s economy, “ Coloma said in an interview over the state-run dzRB radio station.

Members of the Filipino-American community in California have expressed disappointment over failing to meet with Aquino during his short stay in San Francisco, with some leaders remarking to the Asian Journal that the President appeared to have “chose[n] guns, burgers and jazz” instead of having a dialogue with them.

But when asked if the allegations about Aquino’s supposed snub of Filipino-Americans were just part of the intrigues about the President, Coloma said the reports were “baseless” and “are not truthful.”

According to the Asian Journal, Aquino concluded his US trip with a visit to McDonald’s, the Amoeba music shop and the Peninsula Gun Store in San Bruno. He returned to the Philippines on Sept 25.

Aquino said his 12-day-long trip to Europe and the US yielded investment pledges amounting to $2.35 billion, which in turn would create at least 33,850 jobs. — Xianne Arcangel/BM, GMA News

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