Duterte administration ends the P13.8B European Union funding agreement with the Philippines

The European Union regional bloc has been one of the strongest critic of the administration’s war on drugs campaign. And has threatened the country that it will cut its aid if we continue to violate basic human rights or "unlawful killings and other violations" will not be thoroughly investigated all of which they deemed connected to the anti drug war campaign.

The Philippines rejected further aid from the European Union, the loss in aid is projected at $278.73 million in grants.EU is identified as one of the biggest and fastest growing export market for the Philippines. No explanation was made other than so that the EU can be prevented in interfering with the Philippines internal affairs( photo credit to the owner)

Last month the Duterte administration said that “Economic activities should not be tied with allegations of extrajudicial killings”, this was made after the country was warned that the country’s trade with the European Union could be affected by the alleged gargantuan human rights violations.

It was Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella categorically stated that the government is not behind the killings and assured the EU that the Philippines would honor all its international commitments.

“Non-trade accusations, especially if baseless and undeserved, should therefore not be linked with trade programs,” Abella said in a statement.
“We assure our friends and allies that the Philippines will respect its international commitments,” he added.

And this just month now confirmed Department of Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano defended the country’s anti-drug war before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneve, Switzerland.

But despite all of these, The Philippines decided to end its  funding agreement with EU.

European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said that the Philippine government has informed them that the country will no longer accept new EU grants.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia made the statement that the country has rejected aid from the European Union so as to prevent them (EU) from interfering with the country’s internal affairs.

A very bold move, after the president visited China in the launch of the One Belt One Road(OBOR), were China has promised to invest billions of dollars in the country under the OBOR initiative which is one of the projected to fund the massive infrastructure that will be implemented in the Philippines.

Aid from EU would mean a loss of about €250 million or $278.73 million worth of grants, according to Jessen.

Department of Trade and Investment Secretary Ramon Lopez said that the country is already benefiting from China’s financial aid and assistance which is said to be at the amount of $24 billion.

Philippines Statistics Authority showed that the European Union is the biggest and fastest export marketfor Philippine goods with $901 million of total exports.