Page 10 - aruba-today-20161217

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 17 december 2016
Duterte government says it won’t bow to America to get aid

dent Rodrigo Duterte de- Duterte could entail eco-
clared he would chart a nomic costs.
foreign policy independent The U.S. government, along
of the United States. with European Union and
A U.S. government aid United Nations officials,
agency, the Millennium has raised concerns about
Challenge Corporation, Duterte’s crackdown on il-
said this week that its legal drugs, which has left
board deferred a vote on more than 2,000 suspect-
a renewal of the develop- ed drug users and dealers
ment assistance package dead in purported gunbat-
for the Philippines “subject tles with police.
to a further review of con- Duterte has lashed out at
cerns around rule of law President Barack Obama,
and civil liberties.” his administration and oth-
The Philippines had been er critics of his crackdown
slated for another aid with expletive-laden ti-
package after its previous rades.
five-year, $434 million pov- “If we will be given this as-
erty reduction program sistance ... we first have to
was completed in May un- bow down to the impo-
der Duterte’s predecessor, sitions of conditions that
Benigno Aquino III. Duterte they are making and this
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, arrives a meeting with the Filipino community, in Phnom took office in June. is something that we feel is
Penh, Cambodia. The Philippines’ top diplomat criticized the United States on Friday for deferring
a decision on a major aid package over human rights concerns and said the Philippines can The agency’s spokes- not conducive to strength-
survive without it. woman, Laura Allen, said ening our relationship with
(AP Photo/Heng Sinith) Thursday it will continue to friends, especially tradition-
monitor events in the Philip- al allies, especially close
JIM GOMEZ States on Friday for defer- without it. pines before the next board friends,” Yasay said at a
Associated Press ring a decision on a major Foreign Secretary Perfecto review in March 2017. news conference in Singa-
MANILA, Philippines (AP) aid package over human Yasay Jr. said the uncer- The U.S. decision is among pore, where he and other
— The Philippines’ top dip- rights concerns and said tainty over the aid pack- the first signs of how con- officials are accompany-
lomat criticized the United the Philippines can survive age emerged after Presi- cerns about the rule of law ing the president on a two-
and human rights under day visit.q
South Korean lawmakers denied

entry to presidential Blue House

KIM TONG-HYUNG Park’s Saenuri Party. “The
Associated Press Blue House maintained a
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) stance that it will not allow
— South Korean lawmak- any entry inside its offices.”
ers investigating a corrup- He criticized Park’s office
tion scandal surrounding for denying the “will of
impeached President Park the people,” and said the
Geun-hye attempted to in- presidential security offi-
spect records at the presi- cials didn’t provide a clear
dential Blue House on Fri- answer on whether they
day but were denied entry. would agree to lawmakers’
The lawmakers had demands for the records.
planned to look into al- South Korea’s opposition-
legations that Blue House controlled parliament vot-
security officials allowed ed last week to impeach
Park’s longtime friend Choi Park over the scandal, in
Soon-sil and her key as- which millions of people
sociates to easily move in took to the streets in pro-
and out of the presiden- test.
tial offices and residence. The impeachment sus-
Prosecutors have said that pended Park’s powers un-
Park colluded with Choi to til the Constitutional Court
extort money and favors rules whether to formally
from some of the country’s remove her from office or
largest companies and al- reinstate her. A lawyer for
lowed her to manipulate Park, Lee Joong-hwan,
state affairs from the shad- said Friday the court should
ows. restore Park’s powers be-
“Because of the strong op- cause there is insufficient
position of the presidential evidence to justify her un-
security office, the on-site seating.
inspection of the secu- Lee said the lawmak-
rity office has been effec- ers’ “porous” arguments
tively blocked,” said Kim wouldn’t hold up in court.
Sung-tae, a lawmaker from q