Duterte: PH rejected $20-M UK assistance

By: Genalyn D. Kabiling

The Philippines has rejected multi-million dollar assistance from the United Kingdom, President Duterte announced last Thursday, following his tirade against foreign interference in local affairs.

The President assured that the country could survive without the “$18-20 million” (around P102 million) aid from the UK, asserting that he has control over the country’s foreign policy.

“The latest word from Sonny and sa Great Britain, 18 million dollars, 20. Sabi ko kay Sonny Dominguez, ’Wag mong tanggapin. Mabubuhay rin tayo,” the President said during the launching of the renovated Malacañang press briefing room.

“Anyway, I control the foreign affairs of this government. So ‘yung mga diyan mga noisy na ‘The Philippine will go hungry,’ in your ignorance, you are not the one who’d formulate the foreign policy of this country,” he said.

Duterte maintained that handling the country’s foreign affairs was the “solely the privilege of the Executive department,” not Congress and the Supreme Court.

“The conduct of external affairs of this country is not in Congress. It’s not in the Supreme Court. It is the presidency in the great separations of powers,” he said. “‘Wag mo nang tanggapin ‘yan sila,” he added.

The government previously declined some foreign grants that came with conditions that may interfere with the country’s internal policies.

The President’s rejection of the UK assistance came after he lashed out at the European Union for supposedly seeking the country’s removal from the United Nations over the brutal war on drugs.

Duterte also demanded the pullout of the EU ambassadors from the country in 24 hours for alleged interference on domestic affairs.

“You are interfering in our affairs kasi mahirap lang kami,” he said. “Magbigay kayo ng pera then you start to orchestrate what things should be done and which should not happen in my country.”

The President questioned the Europeans’ criticisms over the drug-related deaths in the country when they were involved in the “massacre” of millions during World War I.

“Remember, you, Europeans, all by yourselves, by your lonesome selves, you started the First World War. Idinamay ninyo ang Middle East because you were the great colonizers between 1813 to 1816,” he said.

“You massacred – pareho kayo Europeans and the Arabs that you took in as your armies. You killed, slaughtered each other, 15 million stupid Europeans died because of you,” he said.

Duterte then asked the EU if the “morality of right and wrong” then was different from today’s morality.

“Why don’t you start scratching your head? And find out…Kung mag-ano kayo. You will be excluded in the UN? P**** i** ninyo, gawin ninyo,” he said.

“Those who are obsessed with the affairs of other countries and interfering, I would tell them that ‘Do not do it or else I’d start looking at you,’” he said.