DESPITE President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier pronouncements, the National Economic and Development Authority is confident the United States and European Union will not pull out their respective official development assistance grants to the Philippines.
Economic and Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the ODA grants from the two groups would remain here, stressing without elaboration “They will not pull out.”
In a separate event, Senator Franklin Drilon expressed fears the total $3 billion worth of grants from US, EU and Australia might be placed in jeopardy following the President’s recent sentiments towards them.
During the confirmation of Secretary Carlos Dominguez III’s appointment as Finance chief, Drilon expressed concerns with Durterte’s recent pronouncements.
Drilon, addressing Dominguez, said: “The government and the administration’s assertion of an independent foreign policy is something that we should all support, because that is in the Constitution [and] we should have, maintain an independent foreign policy.
“But the question in everybody’s mind is, in maintaining an independent foreign policy, do we have to displease, insult our allies? Here, we are talking about $3-billion ODA.”
Drilon added: “An ordinary, logical and rational way to look at this is, are we not putting in danger our $3-billion ODA by displeasing our allies? There is no question that we should maintain an independent foreign policy and that is an obligation on the part of the government under the Constitution.
“But the question in everybody’s mind, to pursue an independent foreign policy—which we support—[is] do we have [to] displease our long-term allies and —no matter what you say—put in jeopardy the ODA?”
Dominguez, for his part, confirmed the Philippines’ total ODA from the US is $1.2 billion, which included the $450 million from MDC; from Australia, $567 million; the UN, $365 million; EU, $327 million.
“I think that there might be a school of thought that would say that it is not advisable to do…I am not the foreign affairs minister, but I would say that, yes, there is some logic to what you’re saying,” Dominguez told Drilon.
Duterte recently hit the US and EU and even dared them to withdraw their grants to the Philippines.