Malacañang Palace said it sees no error in choosing a hotel casino as the venue for the recently concluded ASEAN Ministers Meeting and ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026.

The Palace made the statement amid criticism from some observers questioning why the ASEAN events were held at NUSTAR Resort and Casino, which they described as an inappropriate venue for Muslim delegates.

“There’s nothing to rectify because if the hotel casino will be used for an international event, like this Summit, then we don’t see any protocol breach, so long as the purpose is not to gamble,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said during a Palace briefing on Tuesday.

Observers also questioned the choice of NUSTAR as venue, citing its reported association with a top Malacañang official.

Castro responded by saying that high-level international events, such as the ASEAN Summit 2026, are exempt from standard public bidding processes involving local hotel operators.

“Concerning procurement, this process is keenly evaluated. The nature of the event, which is considered a high-profile international event, qualifies for exemptions from standard and open competitive bidding, allowing alternative procurement methods, such as negotiated procurement and direct contracting,” she said.

Castro further assured the public that all expenses and government funds used for the summit would be reported transparently.

Earlier, she said the Philippines is “100 percent ready” to host the ASEAN Summit and related meetings this year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led an inter-agency meeting at Malacañang Palace on Monday to review preparations for the country’s ASEAN 2026 chairship.

During the meeting, key government agencies presented priority plans focused on job generation, support for small businesses, improved digital services and the strengthening of people-centered programs.

Castro added that coordination among concerned agencies remains ongoing to ensure a smooth, secure and well-coordinated hosting of the summit.