President Duterte is standing firmly behind his quest to lessen the country’s dependence on foreign aid despite being called names, such as psychopath by a film actress.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the Palace respects the opinion of actress Agot Isidro but the President’s position against reliance on foreign assistance still remains.
“While Ms. Isidro is entitled to her own opinion, we need to really hear what the President is calling Filipinos to do, which is be free from dependence on foreign aid, which is what the lady is fearful we will lose,” Abella said.
“The President is calling for Filipinos to be truly independent economically and mentally and psychologically,” he added.
In a Facebook post, Isidro called on the President to undertake psychiatric treatment for being a “psychopath” after daring the United States and the European Union to pull out aid from the country. “May kilala along psychiatrist.
Patingin ka. Hindi ka bipolar. You are a psychopath,” she said.
The President earlier challenged the United States and the European Union to withdraw their foreign aid to the country, saying the Philippines could survive without them. Duterte took offense at the reported threats to withdraw foreign aid from the country due to the soaring drug killings in the country.
“If you think it’s high time for you guys to withdraw your assistance, go ahead. We will not beg for it,” the President said during a visit to a police camp in Butuan City last Thursday.
“Go away, bring your money to somewhere else. We will survive as a nation but there is always a day of reckoning,” he added.
Duterte assured the Filipino nation has nothing to worry in the event the foreign aid is pulled out, saying he would be the “first to go hungry or die of hunger.” “Huwag kayo mag alalala but we will never never compromise our dignity as Filipino,” he said. (GENALYN D. KABILING)