Angara says economic team must explain to Duterte distinction between grant, trade

October 25, 2017

The economic team should explain to President Rodrigo Duterte that aid or grant from the European Union should  not be declined because compared to trade, it does not have conditions, an official said on Wednesday.

Duterte's special envoy to EU Edgardo Angara told reporters in Malacanang that EU should not not take as a policy the president's tirades against the group as he was just expressing himself, which is part of country's democracy.

"It's a very mild outburst. It's not against the institution. EU is an institution of 27 countries," Angara said.

He noted that Duterte's expletives were directed to a group of individuals who came to the Philippines and criticized the war on drugs of the administration. These people did not represent EU, added Angara.

Duterte has said the Philippines would not accept EU's help due to the conditions it set.

But Angara said there is distinction between aid or grant and trade. "Trade normally is usually with conditions," he said.

"If I would be part of the economic team, and I'm not, I will try to point out to the President the distiction between aid and grant. Aid is outright grant and usually for humanitarian purpose," Angara explained. Celerina Monte/DMS