{"id":232294,"date":"2019-09-24T22:56:10","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T02:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=232294"},"modified":"2019-09-24T22:56:10","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T02:56:10","slug":"prrd-might-consider-dnd-request-if-it-involves-national-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/09\/24\/prrd-might-consider-dnd-request-if-it-involves-national-security\/","title":{"rendered":"PRRD might consider DND request if it involves national security"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
FILE: DND REQUEST. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana chats with President Rodrigo Duterte during one of the previous Palace events. Lorenzana on Monday (Sept. 23, 2019) said he might consider asking the President to exempt his agency from a suspension of loans from 18 countries supporting Iceland-backed UN resolution that will look into the country\u2019s drug war. (Presidential photo via PNA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA<\/strong>\u00a0— President Rodrigo Duterte may review Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana\u2019s proposal to exempt his agency from the suspension of loans from the 18 countries that supported the Iceland-sponsored United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution to probe the drug war, Malaca\u00f1ang said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not know if the proposal has reached President\u2019s ears so let\u2019s see,\u201d Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo Panelo said in a Palace briefing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe President is a very reasonable man. If it involves national security he might\u2026or I do not know yet. We have to wait for his thoughts on the matter,\u201d Panelo said.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Lorenzana said that although the Department of National Defense (DND) will no longer accept grants, he might ask the President to exempt his agency because the memorandum order would affect the military\u2019s modernization program.<\/p>\n

“Oo, kasi<\/em>\u00a0order\u00a0ni<\/em>\u00a0Presidente yun eh. Maaapektuhan\u00a0\u2018yung<\/em>\u00a0loans and grants.\u00a0Pero ‘yung<\/em>\u00a0loans,\u00a0siguro<\/em>\u00a0we might ask for exemption kung\u00a0kinakailangan ma<\/em>-exempt\u00a0tayo sa<\/em>\u00a0directive\u00a0ni<\/em>\u00a0Presidente (Yes. It\u2019s because it is an order from the President. It might affect the loans as well as the grants, but as for the loans, we might ask, if necessary, for an exemption from the President\u2019s directive),” Lorenzana said during the sidelines of the activation of the three multi-purpose attack crafts and four amphibious assault vehicles at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Roxas Boulevard, Manila on Monday.<\/p>\n

Of the 18 countries covered with the suspension of loans and grants memorandum issued by the Chief Executive through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea last August 27, the Philippines is known to source military equipment and items from four nations which including Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.<\/p>\n

Items acquired from these countries include the AW-109 combat utility and AW-159 anti-submarine helicopters from United Kingdom and Italy, and the C-295 medium transports from Spain and a possible soft loan grant from Australia to build the Navy’s six offshore patrol vessels.<\/p>\n

The Defense chief earlier bared the prospect of a soft loan from Australia for the purchase of six offshore patrol vessels for the Philippine Navy.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us wait for him (Duterte) to evaluate whatever recommendation the Secretary of National Defense will provide him,\u201d Panelo said.<\/p>\n

Other countries that supported Iceland’s resolution are Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, Ukraine and Uruguay.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Political statement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Panelo defended anew Duterte\u2019s order shunning financial aid from the 18 countries calling it a \u201cpolitical statement.\u201d<\/p>\n

He reiterated that Duterte felt insulted by the resolution which \u201cpresupposes\u201d that Philippine courts are not doing anything about the complaints and abuses related to the drug war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a political statement. You don\u2019t mess with this country with that kind of resolution,\u201d Panelo said, stressing how Iceland expressed concern over the killing of drug suspects when it has legalized abortion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are supporting a resolution coming from a country questioning the kind of governance of this country relative to the war on drugs yet this country sponsor is allowing murders, killings of unborn children.\u00a0Kumbaga<\/em>\u00a0(It\u2019s as if saying), what hypocrisy,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Asked if the memo is the President\u2019s personal decision, Panelo said: \u201cAccording to him, he immediately called –upon the height of the Iceland resolution\u00a0 — Secretary (Salvador) Medialdea to issue that memorandum.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Palace official said it was the President\u2019s discretion not to consult with other Cabinet Secretaries before issuing the memo.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the President\u2026 that is his discretion. These are only alter egos of the President,\u201d Panelo said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Panelo shrugged off Senator Francis Pangilinan\u2019s remark urging the President to think twice about issuing the memo as it may affect overseas Filipino workers in those countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe (Pangilinan) should also think twice before issuing such statement because when the President makes a decision, he has studied all aspects of the same,\u201d Panelo said.<\/p>\n

Not confined to loans<\/strong><\/p>\n

Panelo pointed out that despite the President’s memo, foreign relations between the Philippines and the 18 countries that backed the drug probe will not be affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalang epekto kasi yun namang relasyon natin<\/em>\u00a0(There is no affect because our relation) is not confined to loans.\u00a0Pareho rin yun ng ating away<\/em>\u00a0(Just like our dispute) with China,\u00a0hindi lang naman dun sa<\/em>\u00a0conflict\u00a0natin, marami pang areas na puwede natin pag-usapan<\/em>\u00a0(we don\u2019t just focus on our conflict, there are many other areas we can discuss),\u201d Panelo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWala pa akong nakikitang<\/em>\u00a0(I haven\u2019t seen any) adverse effect.\u00a0Wala akong naririnig na<\/em>\u00a0(I haven\u2019t heard any) reaction coming from them.\u00a0Kung walang<\/em>\u00a0reaction\u00a0sa kanila, ang tingin ko doon<\/em>\u00a0(If there\u2019s no reaction from them, I guess), they\u2019re not even offended by the move of the President,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The Palace official insisted that just because the President rejects the resolution to look into the drug war, doesn\u2019t mean the Philippines will have problems in other areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cTingin ko<\/em>\u00a0(I think), let us see how it develops,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Panelo assured the suspension of financial assistance from the 18 countries will have no negative impact on the Philippine economy because it will not affect existing loans or grants which are already being implemented.\u00a0(with reports from Priam Nepomuceno\/PNA)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA\u00a0— President Rodrigo Duterte may review Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana\u2019s proposal to exempt his agency from the suspension of loans …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":232295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1145,16,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-232294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headline","category-news","category-news-ph","mauthors-azer-parrocha","mauthors-philippine-news-agency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232294"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232294\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":232296,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232294\/revisions\/232296"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}