President Rodrigo Duterte. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
DAVAO CITY 鈥� President Duterte on Saturday said he was willing to lose than accept money from the European Union that comes with condition.
鈥淚 will not allow the government to be beholden to anyone except to the people,鈥� he said when asked about his government鈥檚 rejection of the P383 million EU aid.
He said the EU was imposing its 鈥渙wn values鈥� to the Philippines.
鈥淵ou impose your own values, you want countries to follow certain conducts,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hese countries, EU, you never have ceased to be imperialist,鈥� he said.
On Wednesday, EU Ambassador Franz Jessen confirmed that the Philippines had rejected the EU-Philippine Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) by not signing the document.
鈥淚t was formalized in the sense that we had, for example, the TRTA, a document that actually had to be signed by the end of the year. And that has been returned to us unsigned,鈥� he told reporters in Manila.
Jessen said the Duterte government did not like the words 鈥渞ule of law,鈥� 鈥渉uman rights鈥� on the TRTA document.
He said aside from the TRTA, the Duterte government was also poised to reject some P2.4 billion in additional aid for sustainable energy projects.