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NO LONGER COLONIES

Duterte to EU: ASEAN members can also export to each other tariff-free


President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday lashed out the European Union for supposedly warning the Philippines that it would lose trading partners if the "bloody" war on drugs would continue.

In a speech at the inauguration of the refurbished press briefing room of Malacañang's New Executive Building, Duterte seemed unfazed by the warning and said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could survive without the EU.

"Papaano ba sabihin sa Español?  Hijo de p—, you go and… Go ahead. You are interfering in our affairs kasi mahirap lang kami. Magbigay kayo ng pera then you start to orchestrate what things should be done and which should not happen in my country, you b —," Duterte said.

"We are past the colonization stage. ‘Wag ninyo akong… Don’t f— with us. We ASEAN members can export to each other. We can also have tariff-free (trade)," he added.

The statement was made after a seven-member delegation of the Progressive Alliance and the Party of European Socialists visited the Philippines to urge the Duterte administration to "stop the killings, stop silencing dissent."

It warned of strained trading relationships with the international community "especially in light of the upcoming review of Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+)."

This is a special trading instrument that allows around 6,200 Philippine products to enter the EU duty-free.

"If the human rights standards are not upheld, then there may be consequences in the Philippines’ inclusion in this special trading instrument of the EU," the group said.

Duterte also said that China could help the Philippines, too.

"Ayaw nila tanggapin ang export natin because the tariff is almost [inaudible], I will ask China to accept it. China is saying until now, 'So where’s your fruits? We need the fruits. Where are they now?'" he said. —NB, GMA News

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