Caritas to Rody: PH needs EU aid

Caritas Philippines urged President Duterte yesterday to reconsider his decision to reject future aid and grants from the European Union (EU) which he slammed for supposedly undermining the country’s sovereignty.

Caritas Philippines executive secretary Edu Gariguez said the country needs foreign assistance more than ever especially with the upcoming rehabilitation efforts in war-torn Marawi City.

“The president should have a macro perspective...not only focused on war on drugs,” Gariguez said.

Caritas Philippines is the social development arm of the Roman Catholic Church.

Duterte earlier announced that the government will no longer accept any assistance from the EU since its shows the country’s reliance to the regional bloc.

Duterte made the statement after some European officials criticized the government’s war against illegal drugs last week.

EU, however, stressed the position of the said officials does not reflect the stand of EU.

Gariguez, however, said Duterte’s refusal of the EU aid is not only irrational, but also detrimental to the needs of Filipinos.

“By accepting aid, we don’t automatically become dependent or mendicant. We assess the needs and we appeal for assistance for something that is beyond our capacity. Aid is a form of assistance and expression of global solidarity which the Philippines needs given the scale of disaster in Marawi,” Gariguez said.