Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) — If foreign countries want to donate for the Marawi crisis, it has to be with no strings attached, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Wednesday.
“I think the President has made that clear. We welcome foreign aid as long as there are no conditionalities,” Diokno told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
When asked what the conditionalities are, Diokno replied it pertains to those that are “not consistent with our priorities.”
“Like if the conditionality is that we should maybe stop our campaign against drugs, maybe that’s not acceptable,” said Diokno.
In May, the European Union (EU) delegation said the Philippines would no longer accept grants from the body.
Related: EU delegation confirms PH refusing aid from EU
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella has since clarified that they will only reject aid that “begins to impose certain conditionalities that will interfere with the way we handle things.”
Related: PH only refusing EU aid that affects internal affairs
Diokno supported Abella, adding that the Philippines still continues to receive assistance from the EU.
The Marawi crisis broke out when military forces clashed with the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group on May 23, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao. The clash has since displaced over 200,000 and is now on its fourth week.
No figure for Marawi damage
Diokno said the government could not yet peg a definite figure for the cost of the damage in Marawi.
“As I said at this time, we don’t know yet the extent of the damage,” said Diokno.
He added, “There is a discussion of a ₱10 billion fund for the rehabilitation of Marawi….We don’t know how much of that is public sector, how much is private sector.”
However, the Budget Secretary also said he does not see the need for any supplemental budget to address the conflict in the south.
“As far as the budget is concerned, I think we don’t need any supplemental budget. We can access the so-called contingent fund, and we can rearrange the budgets of some departments so they can address the needs of Marawi after the battle,” said Diokno.
He also maintained that the conflict did not deter investors from Mindanao, nor would it affect large-scale infrastructure projects such as railways and roads that the Duterte administration was planning.
Diokno added they were “factoring in” the Marawi crisis in the 2018 budget proposal.
The proposed budget for next year is at ₱3.77 trillion.
