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Nothing fishy or suspicious.

This was what Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has to say on the claim of outgoing US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg that he made an 鈥渦npublicized鈥� trip to China in June.

Goldberg has said in a television interview that Cayetano and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade went to China ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 inauguration.

While Tugade has denied the accusation, Cayetano confirmed he went to China but was quick to say that nothing was 鈥渕alicious鈥� with his trip.

READ: Tugade denies making 鈥榰npublicized鈥� trip to China, mocks US intel

鈥淚s this an admission that they are spying on us, on a Cabinet member and a member of the Senate? Was there anything wrong, malicious of me going to anywhere, to China?鈥� Cayetano told reporters in a Palace briefing.

The senator said he sees nothing wrong with his trips abroad, adding that he also went to the US on June 2105.

鈥淎s a senator, I can meet my counterparts, I can travel. There is such a thing as inter-parliamentary relations,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing fishy, nothing suspicious about all of these trips,鈥� he added.

Cayetano, who said it was his initiative to go to China, did not give details of the trip but noted he would 鈥渕ake a full report鈥� at the right time.

鈥淎t the right time, I will make a full report if at all I鈥檓 doing something, whether it鈥檚 in my initiative or I was directed to,鈥� he said.

He said he was writing a letter to Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. 鈥渢o complain and protest the actions of Ambassador Goldberg.鈥�

鈥淲e do not have departure or arrival statements so what does he mean unpublicized trip? Every time I go abroad, do I give press conferences?鈥� he said.

Cayetano slammed Goldberg for his 鈥渇alse鈥� accusations.

鈥淲hat business does the US ambassador or any ambassador have, monitoring trips or criticizing whether its unpublicized or publicized? Is the US ambassador engaged in tsismis (gossip) and rumor-mongering, and in false information?鈥� he said. RAM