Koko: Duterte’s ‘outburst’ on EU envoys a message not to meddle in PHL affairs

European Union (EU) diplomats should take President Rodrigo Duterte’s “outburst” as a message that they should not meddle in the affairs of a sovereign country such as the Philippines, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Friday.

“It's just an outburst. If taken into context, EU ambassadors should know that that is not [an] order to leave. Such a thing would have to come from the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs). And I am sure no such order is forthcoming,” Pimentel told reporters.

“The context of the President is: We are a sovereign nation and we expect to be treated as such. If you don’t, then that’s your problem, not ours. We will not submit to your dictates and whims and your other standards and ‘modern way’ of looking at things,” he added.

Pimentel, president of administration party PDP-Laban, added that the “Filipino way of doing things, and Filipino values have their own worth, independent of the opinion of the other countries especially of those ‘modern progressive Western countries’.”

“In short, hinay hinay kayo sa pakiki-alam ninyo sa amin kasi may mga utak din kami!” he said.

In a speech on Thursday, Duterte lashed out at EU diplomats, telling them to leave the country within 24 hours, over a supposed EU threat to have the Philippines expelled from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

Malacañang clarified the President’s statements, saying Duterte only made the harsh remarks because a group supposedly poised itself as a mission from the EU.

Abella explained that, "The call of the President for EU ambassadors to leave the country in 24 hours must be taken in this light."

He was referring to the seven-member delegation of the Progressive Alliance and Party of European Socialists that urged the government to stop the killings and warned of strained trading relationships with the international community.

The delegation and the EU, however, made no remarks regarding the Philippines being removed from the UNHRC. It was the New York-based Human Rights Watch who made such warning.  —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/KBK, GMA News