Duterte: socialists reason for rejecting EU aid

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, January 27, cited socialists as the reason why the Philippines rejected development aid from the European Union (EU).

“I’m willing to lose it. Di kasi nila alam eh. I said: same. The socialists are contributing money for destab(ilization) and all these things which I cannot discuss publicly,” President Duterte told reporters.

Duterte previously raised the issue of socialists funding the communist insurgency in the Philippines in his speech in Compostela Valley province on January 22.

He said there were American socialists whose funds they send to the Philippines go nowhere but in the pockets of the leaders of the Filipino communists.

On Saturday, Duterte was asked whether the country’s decision to reject EU’s aid was final.

On January 24, EU Ambassador Franz Jesse confirmed that the Philippines formally rejected EU-Philippine Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) amounting to 6.1 million euros, or about P383.64 million.

The country had previously said that it would be rejecting all forms of aid with conditions, such as respecting human rights.

In May last year, the EU also confirmed that the Philippines had stopped accepting new EU grants. At time, Duterte had slammed the EU for supposedly interfering in his bloody anti-drug campaign, to which the President mentioned anew on Saturday.

“It’s my country first before I want to hear you,” he said. – Rappler.com