Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella. KING RODRIGUEZ/ Presidential Photo
Malacañang on Saturday allayed the fears of the European Union (EU) after it expressed concern over the anticrime methods of the Duterte administration.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said peace and order should be stabilized first to spur economic growth.
“Unang una kailangan nating maging safe at secure ang ating bayan at—tapos—at saka ‘pag nandiyan iyan,susunod niyan iyong paglahad noong ano—itong economic growth na hinahanap natin,” Abella said over state-run dzRB radio.
(First and foremost, we need the country to be safe first, before we can achieve the economic growth that we have been wanting.)
On Friday, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malström, who is in the Philippines for a summit, raised concerns on the bloody drug war and the revival of the death penalty in the country, among others.
READ: EU trade chief concerned over drug war
But Abella said the EU doesn’t understand the real situation in the country.
“Hindi nila maintindihan, hindi nila makuha talaga kung ano ba iyong nangyayari na—kung ano talaga ang nangyayari dito,” he said.
(They do not understand and have no correction appreciation of what is really happening here.)
This, however, was not the first time an EU official expressed concern over polices of the Duterte administration.
Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte did not mince his words, calling the EU “hypocrites,” after it criticized the government’s bloody war on drugs.
READ: Fuck you, EU – Duterte
The Palace official said Duterte entered into his term where corruption, criminality and illegal drugs were already rampant.
“Unang una po siguro ay dapat maintindihan natin na pagpasok ng Presidente eh malalim-lalim na ang kalagayan ng korapsyon, krimen at saka iligal na droga ‘no, sa Pilipinas,” he said.
(First, we should understand that when the President assumed office, the Philippines’ problems with corruption, crime and drugs were already grave.)
Abella said those who were in power before tolerated and even joined corrupt and criminal activities.
“Kaya naman naging malalim dahil maraming mga tao na nasa position o power at saka authority na nakilahok sa krimen na ito, sa isang activity, sa illegal drugs ‘no,” he said.
(It became worse because many of those who were in position or in power and authority also engaged in these illegal activities.) IDL