Palace clarifies President Duterte’s dare to US to withdraw aid to PHL

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 7): Palace clarifies President Duterte’s dare to US to withdraw aid to PHL

Malacanang on Friday clarified the challenge of President Rodrigo Duterte to the United States and foreign institutions to withdraw aid to the Philippines if they cannot understand his war on drugs.

”It is merely saying that the President is saying that we have a reform policy, we have our own problems, internal problems in the country that instead of criticizing us unfairly, help us solve our problems,” Presidential Communications Operations (PCO) Secretary Martin Andanar said in a radio interview with DWFM.

Andanar said the US and other international critics of the President should stop talking if they have nothing good to say for the Philippines.

”If they have nothing to help, they better keep silent. That’s how simple it is,” he said.

He said the Philippines is not interfering with the problems of other countries.

Last Thursday, President Duterte told the US, human rights groups and the international institutions to put their money to “somewhere else” if they are unhappy with his strong campaign against drugs.

President Duterte said the Philippines will survive “but we will never, never compromise our dignity.”

”The President knows what he is saying and the President is standing for the right of every Filipino, independent foreign policy and about opening our doors to other countries also if they want to -- who may want to work with the Philippines in a mutually beneficial ways,” Andanar explained.

The US, European Union, United Nations and other human rights groups have questioned the alleged extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines.

President Duterte has said he might break up with US and would rather go to China and Russia.
The President is set to visit China and later Japan within this month.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=929572