MANILA – The Department of National Defense (DND) hopes to be exempted from President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive rejecting grants and loans from those countries backing a UN resolution, led by Iceland, seeking a comprehensive report on the Philippines’ drug war.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he might ask Duterte to exclude them from the rejection of the loans as it could possibly affect the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization program.
“Maaapektuhan ‘yan. ‘Yung loans siguro magkakaroon ng konting kwan kami diyan. We might ask for exemption,” Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana, however, was not able to immediately identify which of the 18 countries, who backed the probe against Duterte’s war on drugs, have pending grants or loans for the AFP mode.
On Monday, Malacañang confirmed the existence of the document containing the presidential directive to shun aid from countries backing the probe.
A memorandum on signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Aug. 27 ordered “all agencies, state companies and government financial institutions should suspend negotiations or agreements pending the assessment of our relations with these countries.”
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, however, said this directive will not affect the country’s economy.
“At the outset, we assure the nation and its citizenry that this directive will not have a negative and significant impact on the country,” Panelo said. “The policy would not affect existing loans or grants which are already being implemented.”
“All proposed engagements with the said countries, except for France, are technical assistance grants, thus it would “not significantly affect the infrastructure program of the government,” he added.
The UNHRC adopted the Iceland resolution last July for an international investigation into the spate of killings and human rights violations in the country due to President Duterte’s “war on drugs.”
Eighteen countries have voted for the approval of the resolution during the 41st session of UNHRC in Geneva while the other 14 opposed it and the remaining 15 countries abstained.
The countries who voted to adopt the resolution were Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and Uruguay./PN
