19 October 2017•Update: 20 October 2017
By Roy Ramos
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
Philippines would no longer accept grants from the European Union (EU), one of the country’s largest trading partners and donors, said secretary of foreign affairs.
The announcement came on the sidelines of an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference.
The government’s decision would be formally conveyed through the EU’s ambassador to the country, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano was quoted as saying by Rappler, Philippine-based online news portal.
However, he hoped the measures would not affect the trade with the EU. "It should not affect our overall relationship. It should not affect our trade," the secretary said.
When asked if the decision will cover all kinds of aid, Cayetano answered, "That's my impression".
The decision was announced days after President Rodrigo Duterte had mistakenly threatened to expel EU envoys after the recent visit of a 7-member delegation of the Progressive Alliance, which called on the Philippines to stop the drug-related killings.
The EU denied involvement in the recent visit of the European delegation which was “falsely reported by some media outlets” as an EU mission.
However, earlier this year, the EU had also called for an international investigation into unlawful killings and other violations in the Philippines linked to Duterte's war on drugs.
Duterte stood firm that Manila would not allow undue interferences in the country’s domestic affairs.
“You give us money then you start to orchestrate what things should be done and which should not happen in our country,” said Duterte last week. “We will not allow anybody, not even the United States, to dictate us,” he added.
In May, the Philippine government announced that it would not accept grants from the EU and said: "We're supposed to be an independent nation".
