Hinamon ni Senador Risa Hontiveros ang administrasyon na ipakita sa publiko ang mga sinasabi nitong ayuda ng European Union (EU) na may mga kondisyon sa pamahalaan ng Pilipinas.
Nangyari ito ilang araw makalipas kumpirmahin ng Malacañang na hindi na tatanggap ang Pilipinas ng tulong “with conditions” mula sa EU o alinmang bansa.
“I have four basic questions for the government. First, which of the EU aid packages had unfair conditionalities? Can the government provide the public a list? Second, what exactly were the unjust conditionalities in the said grants and/or aid that could interfere with our national affairs? Third, how could the said conditionalities possibly interfere in our domestic affairs? Fourth, what audit mechanism was used by the government in rejecting the said aid?” ani Hontiveros
Aniya, gaano naman daw nakakatiyak ang Pilipinas na walang kondisyon ang China na nagpautang ng bilyun-bilyong dolyar. Iginiit niya na dapat din itong ihayag ng Pangulo.
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“Since the government said that it is their policy to reject all aid and loans from countries with unjust conditionalities, I therefore ask, are Chinese loans without any conditionalities? Are they not tied loans? Were Chinese loans given with the condition that the Philippines will not enforce against China the UN-supported arbitral decision of the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal?” ani Hontiveros.
“The principle of rejecting aid and loans with unfair and onerous conditions should apply to all, whether they are from EU or China,” giit niya.
Samantala, binigyang-diin muli ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na kaya ng Pilipinas kahit na wala ang western allies sa paghahangad nitong mas mapalapit sa Russia at China.
Sa panayam ng RT, ang English-language news channel ng Russia, muling binanatan ni Duterte ang matagal nang kaalyadong United States at EU sa diumano’y pagtrato sa Pilipinas bilang isang kolonya.
“We are an independent country, we will survive, we will endure, we can go hungry. But this time, I want my country treated with dignity,” ani Duterte ilang araw bago ang nakatakdang na pagbisita niya sa Russia.
Sinabi ni Duterte, wala siyang galit sa Amerika ngunit nagbago na ang kanyang foreign policy. “I now have this working alliance with China, and I hope to establish good working relations with Russia,” paliwanag niya.”
Ayon kay Duterte, kung mayroon mang dapat na magreklamo ay siya, dahil sa pananakop ng US sa Pilipinas.
“You treat me as if I am your colony still? You must be kidding,” aniya.
(Leonel M. Abasola at Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
