Pres. Aquino will run government while traveling abroad

President Benigno S. Aquino III is escorted by AFP Vice Chief of staff Lieutenant General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. during the President’s arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal II on Tuesday night (June 24, 2014) after attending the Summit Meeting & Working Lunch with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. The President also attended the Consolidation for Peace for Mindanao Conference in Hiroshima organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Research and Education for Peace of the Universiti Sains Malaysia. (Photo by Robert Viñas/ Malacañang Photo Bureau/PNA)

MANILA — President Benigno S. Aquino III will keep in touch with the members of his Cabinet although he will be traveling abroad this coming week.

There were questions why the President did not designate the Vice President to be the government caretaker while the chief executive is in overseas travel.

In a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Vice President Jejomar Binay could convene Cabinet meetings should it be necessary based on an August 2010 memorandum from the President.

“The memorandum that was issued by the President from August of 2010, I think, still stands,” Valte said.

The memo states that the Vice President will represent the President especially in chairing a Cabinet meeting if it is necessary, she said.

The Executive Secretary will convene such meetings in case it is needed.

“But because of the advancement of technology where you can do Skype, you can do phone calls instantaneously, you can do text messages, parang malapit pa rin po ang Pangulo and we’re always in contact with him,” Valte said.

“So ang ES po ang naitatalaga ng Pangulo to run the affairs of the Office of the President.”

The President leaves Saturday night for a four-nation European tour, visiting Spain, Belgium, France and Germany.

After traveling in Europe, he will proceed to the US to attend a climate summit organized by the United Nations in New York.