Early last week the European Union Ambassador to the
Philippines Franz Jessen told the media that a formal invitation has already
been sent to MalacaƱang inviting President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to attend the
12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM12) in Brussels, Belgium in October of this year.
At the time, the President is in India attending the
ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi, along with the other leaders of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), so everybody had to wait
for the President to come back to the country to hear his answer if his willing
to go to Brussels, Belgium.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, when pressed by the
media if he thinks the President will proceed with the EU trip gave this
answer: “There was an invitation but the guidelines will be… we need to be very
clear on what benefits the Philippines will get from such a visit. It must not
be too expensive,” and “Pursuant to those guidelines, the President will make a
decision.” *
President Duterte (photo credit to owner) |
In his return the President gave his clear answer regarding
the European Union invitation and the answer is a big NO.
It has been of public knowledge that in his public speeches
he has thrown a lot of expletives and has time and again lambasted the European
Union ( EU) for unfair and unreasonable criticisms as against the
implementation of Duterte’s war on drug
campaign.
“Well, I just don’t like their attitude. That’s all,” the
President said.
“So why would I go
there to discuss a matter which I hate to talk about in front of them,” President
Duterte said during the press conference of upon arriving from India.
He also said that the trip to Europe would be an expensive
one for the government.
The European Union, an influential bloc of
28 European countries, wants to “impose their own values, ethos, policy.”
“You have always been imperialists ever
since,” he said.
European Union Ambassador Franz Jessen to
the Philippines last week told the media people that he hopes that President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte would visit Europe to be part of the Asia-Europe meeting in
October, which could be the avenue where he can have a “more positive
understanding of the European Union.” *
The President in the same press conference
told the media that his administration would not accept any aid from the
European Union if it came with conditions, this is in relation to the
Philippines rejecting the P383 million aid from EU.
“I will not allow the government to be
beholden to anyone except to the people,” he said of his rejection of P383
million in EU aid.
Report from PDI
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