Philippines: Duterte slams, EU anew, says "Go to hell"

By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (AA) -- President Rodrigo Duterte lambasted the European Union (EU) Wednesday, again, for only citing statistics about the casualties in the country's war on drugs.

Speaking in Malacañang, Duterte said the EU could 'go to hell' if it would not listen to the explanation of his special envoy to the bloc, former Senator Edgardo Angara.

Duterte revealed he has told Angara how to deal with Europeans on the issue of the government's anti-drug campaign.

"Senator Angara. I appointed him as an envoy to EU. I've been trying to explain to them, but I said to them, if they listen to you, sir, fine. If not, they can all go to hell," he said.

Recalling how he lashed out at former United States President Barack Obama for his comments against the drug war, Duterte said: "That’s what I said to Obama, you go to hell. Why should I not tell him that? He was berating me in public."

Duterte appeared unfazed by the EU report on human rights and democracy for 2016 that found a culture of impunity remained in the country and that the human rights situation worsened in the second semester of the previous year.

The EU has threatened to sue Duterte before an international court over his war on drugs.

"Go ahead. No problem. But just give me an audience who are educated. So that's why -- it appalls me to learned that they can be so stupid about it. That did not -- almost an ignoramus," he said.

Duterte reiterated that grants from the regional bloc should not be accepted because it came with conditions.

"For all of the European Unions, say no to them. Say no. We do not need that, we can survive as a nation,'" he said, adding that those critical of his drug war did not ask why the drug suspects were killed.

"But they look only on how many persons allegedly killed by extrajudicial process. They don't even bother to see why were they killed?" Duterte said.
GMA News reported the Philippines as early as May informed the EU that it will no longer accept development aid from the foreign body.

Citing Ambassador Franz Jessen statement, the report said the decision to cut aid from the EU would mean the loss of about 250 million Euros ($278.73 million) worth of grants mostly allocated to Muslim communities.

"The Philippine government has informed us they no longer accept new EU grants," he said.

However, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano clarified on Wednesday the government is not keen on accepting grants from other countries if these come with conditions.

“This is not an EU specific policy, I cleared it with the President last night, it is the policy for all countries.,” Cayetano said in a media interview in Manila about rejecting foreign aid with conditions that may harm the country’s sovereignty.

“If you’re going to give us conditionalities that will affect our sovereignty to give you the right to interfere into our domestic affairs, we will not accept that donation,” he added.

The Philippines' top diplomat asked: "Are they willing to give without conditionalities or if the conditionalities are there, are they willing to do it through international organizations?