A EUROPEAN Union official said Thursday the bloc will transfer its development grant meant for the Philippines to other countries if it does not want it.
In a round-table discussion, EU on Asia and the Pacific managing director Gunnar Wiegand said if the Philippines decided not to accept its €250 or P13.89 billion grant, the bloc will not “beg to ask the Philippines” to accept it.
“We do not believe that we have to beg, to ask the Philippines please can you take our money?” said Wiegand who is here to attend this week’s Asean Regional Forum.
“If we are not welcome, there is no lack of other countries in the region and beyond where the money can be very well used.”
Wiegand also said that, aside from attending the ARF, he also would take the opportunity to clarify its “misunderstandings” with the Philippine government.
His statement is a confirmation of European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ president Guenter Taus’ warning that the Philippines’ refusal of aid with conditions from the EU could endanger further assistance from the bloc.
The government last week announced it would no longer accept the €250-million (P13.89-billion) aid from the EU, the country’s biggest donor, because it was interfering in its national policy.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano defended Duterte and said the Philippines would no longer receive any aid with conditions in pursuit of an independent foreign policy.
He said the Philippines would reject any aid with conditions from all countries.
But Wiegand said their help was not a form of “interference” and that the EU had a track record of working well with its Philippine partners and beneficiaries since 1992.
He said three programs would be affected by the rejection of the €250-million fresh grant: the peace process including livelihood programs for the people directly affected by the conflict; the promotion of renewable energy in Mindanao and the significant rule-of-law component with the Supreme Court, Human Rights Commission and other parts of the Philippines’ legal system.
Wiegand said the EU was adhering to a standard principle to all recipients of its aid: to “observe the rule of law and the guaranty of human rights”.
He said the EU’s principle was not difficult to apply especially in a democratic country such as the Philippines.
“This is nothing special for the Philippines. That is something that we apply as a standard for all our assistance programs, and it is something which should be not so difficult to apply with the country which is democratic, stands for the rule of law which takes its own commitments for the guarantee of human rights seriously,” Wiegand said.
When asked why it was important for donor countries to set conditions, Wiegand said: “You know why? Because it’s the money of our taxpayers. They want to know where their money goes.
“If people think other donors would be without conditions, I would like to see those providers of assistance who have no conditions.”
Since 1992, the EU has given the Philippines €2.3-billion or P128.91-billion in aid.