President Duterte has denied issuing a memorandum on the suspension of the loans and grants with countries that backed the United Nations’ probe on his bloody anti-drug crackdown.
“The President has not issued any memorandum suspending loans and negotiations involving 18 countries that voted in favor of the Iceland resolution,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said yesterday.
Panelo issued the statement following reports of the issuance of a memorandum by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea about the suspending the negotiations for and signing of all loan and grant agreements with the supporters of the UN probe on the drug war.
A copy of the memorandum showed Medialdea directing the government agencies, government-owned and -controlled corporations, and government financial institutions to suspend the loan negotiations “pending the assessment of our relations with these countries.”
The suspension order was made “in light of the administration’s strong rejection of the resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council which was carried through by the votes of a minority of the council members on 11 July 2019 and calls upon the Philippines to take certain actions in relation to alleged human rights violations in the country.”
The memorandum dated Aug. 27 was classified as confidential.
A top Palace official who requested anonymity confirmed the issuance of the memorandum on the loan suspension. (Genalyn Kabiling)
UPDATED