Some lawmakers urge government to postpone Asean summit

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March 24, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Some lawmakers are urging the government to seriously consider postponing the holding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the Philippines this year to free up public funds amid soaring inflation and a crippling global oil crisis.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson backed the calls to review the country’s diplomatic commitments, given the severe economic climate.

“Former secretary Gary Teves’ proposal merits at least serious study and possible reconsideration. I think our ASEAN neighbors would understand,” Lacson told reporters.

The discussions stem from a proposal by former finance secretary Teves, who suggested that deferring the country’s hosting duties for the ASEAN gathering could save the government an estimated P17 billion.

Teves argued that the billions allocated for the summit should be redirected to address urgent domestic pressures, noting that other nations have backed out of hosting duties or rescheduled major global events in the past, such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Sen. Imee Marcos strongly opposed spending the summit’s P17-billion budget, recalling that she had flagged the allocation during the Department of Foreign Affairs budget deliberations.

While finance committee chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian does not support proposals to postpone the hosting of ASEAN, he said the government should avoid extravagance.