MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Sunday defended the alleged order to refuse grants and aid from other countries who voted to approve a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution calling for probe on the Philippines’ drug war killings.
“Experience showed the same countries that voted for the Iceland resolution never gave or lent us anything worthwhile or offered with conditions more onerous than the loans we’d have to pay back,” Locsin said in a tweet.
Locsin was responding to former Commission on Election (Comelec) commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal who argued: “If ‘we don’t need money’ from countries, it means we don’t need money from everyone. Not just some. Because if we still take out loans and ODAs (official development assistance) from some but reject from others, well…”
That doesn't follow; experience showed the same countries that voted for the Iceland resolution never gave or lent us anything worthwhile or offered with conditions more onerous than the loans we'd have to pay back. Yes, we take ODA from Japan which gives without conditions. https://t.co/Pp39PpOV2l
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) September 22, 2019
“Yes, we pick and choose; to take indiscriminately is actually criminal. For example, we can never take from narco-states like the most notorious one which voted for the Iceland resolution and had the entire Geneva laughing. Really,” Locsin said in another tweet.
Yes, we pick and choose; to take indiscriminately is actually criminal. For example, we can never take from narco-states like the most notorious one which voted for the Iceland resolution and had the entire Geneva laughing. Really. https://t.co/ppAtzSoquM
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) September 22, 2019
The Inquirer earlier reported that a confidential memorandum dated August 27 from the Office of the President ordered a suspension of all negotiations or signing of all loan and grant agreements with the countries that voted in favor of the UNHRC resolution last July 11.
READ: Duterte order shuns all loans, grants, aid from 18 countries backing probe of PH killings
A total of 18 countries voted in favor of the resolution — namely, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Uruguay.
READ: Greater scrutiny on PH killings gets UN rights council’s nod
“That’s because we don’t want to borrow money from those whose defense of the drug trade and attacks on anti-drug trade campaigns make us mighty suspicious about where the money’s coming from,” Locsin said in a separate tweet.
That's because we don't want to borrow money from those whose defense of the drug trade and attacks on anti-drug trade campaigns make us mighty suspicious about where the money's coming from. You, trading drugs is the most lucrative business in the world bar none. https://t.co/sUaLAGrG41
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) September 22, 2019
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo has denied the said order.
“The President has not issued any memorandum suspending loans and negotiations involving 18 countries that voted in favor of the Iceland resolution,” Panelo said. /je
READ: Palace: No Duterte order suspending loans, grants from 18 countries backing PH killings probe