(Eagle News) — The European Union on Friday announced that it would give the Philippines €3.8 million to fund drug rehabilitation centers in the country.
Stefano Manservisi, European Commission Director General for International Cooperation and Development, said the amount, which is equivalent to P241.6 million, would be given through the Department of Health.
“We have a program which is called drug rehabilitation program in which we are addressing how to bring back to normal life people who have been into this segment…We are doing that in the framework or the program that the government is doing,” Manservisi said.
According to Manservisi, the aid–which is governed by the Partnership Cooperation Agreement— comes with no “unilateral conditionalities.”
The PCA was signed between Manila and the European bloc in 2012.
It was ratified by the Philippine Senate early this year.
“We have a program called drug rehabilitation program in which we are addressing how to bring back to normal the life of people, who have been into this circuit. You know, rehabilitation center, psychological activity, teaching, education, etcetera, so we are doing this,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has stood firm in his stand the Philippines would not accept any aid from the EU.
The bloc earned the ire of President Duterte after European groups relying mainly on news reports publicly accused Duterte of violating the rights of drug personalities with his drug war.