Malacañang has told the European Union (EU) that the Philippines will now stop receiving financial assistance from the regional bloc.
The EU office in the the Philippines has received word from the Palace that the country is no longer interested in any EU grant.
The Philippine government’s move may be seen as a rebuke to the EU following its criticisms against some of the programs of the Duterte administration.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella explained, “we want to avoid the mendicant attitude. We can manage without the EU grant. The Philippines is growing by leaps and bounds. We need to gain certain confidence in ourselves.”
The reproach might translate to a loss of billions of pesos in financial aid.
EU had just promised to provide P 2.76 billion worth of fresh grants for communities in Mindanao.
The Duterte administration is incensed over the EU’s criticisms against the Philippine government’s war against illegal drugs.
The EU had also asked for the release of Senator Leila De Lima from detention.
It had also hit the administration’s campaign to revive the death penalty and lower the age of criminal liability.
Abella said, the EU is "imposing conditions" when it made these remarks on the policies of the Duterte administration.