PH accepts drug rehab aid from EU

Malacañang on Monday, March 5, thanked the European Union (EU) as it offered 3.8 million-euro to fund the government’s drug rehabilitation program. (Photo by Jean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Malacañang on Monday, March 5, thanked the European Union (EU) as it offered 3.8 million-euro to fund the government’s drug rehabilitation program.

“We thank the European Union, likewise, for offering a 3.8 million-euro aid to fund the drug rehabilitation centers in the country,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during a press briefing.

Roque said that this P243 million assistance is a “big boost” to the administration’s efforts to fix problems on drug addiction.

“The EU’s desire to support our drug rehabilitation centers runs parallel to the Duterte administration’s holistic approach to the drug problem by treating it not just as a national security issue but a public health concern as well, including rehabilitation and reintegration of the drug dependents,” the spokesperson stressed.

The Palace official, however, said that President Rodrigo Duterte would accept aids from other countries if there are no conditions attached to it.

“The President, as we all know, is amenable to accepting any aid but without any unilateral conditions. He will reject as he made in previous occasions offer of assistance with any condition that will interfere with our domestic policies,” Roque explained.

“The President will not compromise the nation’s dignity over any amount of foreign aid,” he continued.

Duterte has criticized the EU since the bloc took a strong stand against the administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign, even rejecting millions of pesos in aid from the body.

On May 2017, the Philippine government announced that it would no longer accept any aid from the bloc as it had conditions for the country, particularly on rule of law, democracy, and human rights.

The nation, last January 24, formally declined to accept €6.1 million or around P380 million worth of aid from the EU.

Despite the Chief Executive’s ire, the EU said that they are still committed in providing support to the Philippines.

“We have not closed any doors,” EU Ambassador to the Philippines Frank Jessen was quoted as saying in an ABS-CBN report last January 2018.

“We will be pleased to continue the work we are doing in the past,” he added.