Duterte also thanks Gokongwei family for offer to deploy aircraft for distressed Filipino workers
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to have reconciled with Lucio Tan on Tuesday night, after the business tycoon who was once publicly slammed by the chief executive for his airline’s then-unpaid debts offered one of his planes for use by Overseas Filipino Workers being repatriated from Kuwait.
“(Tan) called yesterday offering another plane..Nabayaran mo naman na taxes mo, at sa pinapakita mo, wala ka nang maririnig sa akin,” Duterte said in a speech he made as he welcomed another batch of OFWs from the Middle Eastern country.
Duterte was referring to the P7.3 billion in arrears the Department of Transportation then said Tan’s Philippine Airlines owed the government.
Duterte then demanded that the businessman pay the amount in ten days.
“These rich people, they are my enemies…You sons of wh**es. But you should pay your taxes,” Duterte had said in a speech last year.
After negotiations, the amount was reduced to P6 billion.
PAL paid the amount prior to the December 2017 deadline the President had set.
“In behalf of our countrymen, salamat po, and I will remember you for all time,” Duterte said, to applause from the OFWs in attendance.
Duterte also thanked the Gokongwei family, who he said also “immediately called, ready to deploy airplanes.”
“Just do the right thing, and I will do the right thing, and we will be alright,” Duterte said, noting that politics would never get in the way if one wanted to help.