MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte said he is not keen on attending the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting on Oct. 18 and 19 in Brussels, Belgium.
“Gastos-gastos lang ako (I would just be spending unnecessarily). It would cost us millions,” the President said upon his arrival from India at the Davao International Airport before dawn yesterday.
Besides, the President has been adamant in turning down 6.1 million euros (about P382 million) in trade-related assistance from the European Union (EU) that he said comes with “conditionalities.”
The aid would have been implemented under the EU-Philippine Trade Related Technical Assistance 2017.
“The problem here, because these countries, EU, and the others, you never have really ceased to be imperialists. You have always been (imperialistic) ever since,” he said.
The President said he did not like the attitude of the Europeans toward Filipinos.
“I just don’t like their attitude, that’s all. So why would I go there to discuss a matter which I hate to talk about in front of them?” the President told The STAR.
Duterte said he did not want to talk to the Europeans since they continued to be imperialists who want to impose their values on Filipinos.
“(They believe) they’re always right. They impose their own values, ethos, policy, they want their way. In that case, don’t bother talking to me,” the President said.
Duterte, who is sensitive to criticisms of his administration’s human rights record, has repeatedly berated the EU and accused the bloc of hypocrisy and interference for expressing concern over the spate of killings linked to his fierce war on illegal drugs.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez last Thursday said the language used in the agreement that would have facilitated the grant of the EU aid was not acceptable.
But the President said the EU could course their assistance through the private sector but not to the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The communist rebels would just use the EU assistance for purposes other than livelihood assistance, the President had said.