Brussels, Belgium (CNN Philippines, December 8) — The Parliament of the European Union is sending yet another delegation to the Philippines next year to assess the state of human rights and rule of law in the country.
However, the delegation wants to avoid further straining EU’s relationship with the Philippines, especially as economic ties between the two continue to flourish, a lawmaker said.
Marc Tarabella, a member of the European Parliament and vice-chair of its EU-ASEAN Delegation, confirmed in an interview on Tuesday that he will likely head to the Philippines in May, along with six to eight other lawmakers.
The visit will cover a broad review of EU-Philippine relations, but Tarabella said the delegation will focus especially on reports of extra-judicial killings in the government’s drug war.
“Our partners from Asia speak more easily about trade, the need for trade and free trade agreements. But for us the priority is also to speak about human rights,” he told visiting Filipino journalists.
Another official who works with the Parliament’s EU-ASEAN Delegation but is not authorized to speak on the matter confirmed the trip.
According to the source, the EU parliamentarians will likely meet with their counterparts in Congress, as well as business leaders, civil society groups and human rights activists.
The delegation will assess the situation on the ground and then report their findings back to the European Parliament, the source said.
While the Parliament is only one of three major bodies comprising the EU, it has the power to approve the bloc’s budgets and international agreements.
In October, the Parliament threatened to block aid and trade perks for Cambodia, after sending its EU-ASEAN delegation there to look into reports Prime Minister Hun Sen is cracking down on the opposition.
“The ruling party has arrested the opposition leader and threatened to remove the main opposition party. We cannot finance that. It’s a waste of EU money,” Tarabella said.
It’s not the first time EU lawmakers will visit the Philippines under the Duterte administration. In July, members of its human rights subcommittee visited Senator Leila de Lima in detention.
It also issued an urgent resolution pushing for de Lima’s immediate release, calling the charges against her “politically motivated” and “almost entirely fabricated.”
President Rodrigo Duterte lashed back though, telling the EU lawmakers to “mind [their] own business.”
He said, “Do not impose your culture or your belief in what would be a government in this planet. Do not impose on other countries, especially us.”
Despite the political bickering though, economic relations between the EU and the Philippines have flourished.
The EU is the Philippines’ largest source of foreign investment and second largest export market. In the first half of 2017, Philippine exports to the EU jumped 36% to $4.6 billion.
With booming trade and investment, Tarabella said it was crucial for the EU to maintain its relationship with the Philippines.
“Sometimes, conditions are improving. Sometimes, they are worsening. But I think we need to maintain our relations with the Philippines,” he said.
He urged his fellow lawmakers to recognize the potential of the Philippines and its neighboring countries to drive the world economy. With young populations and large consumer markets, he said the EU could benefit from stronger economic ties.
“In Europe, when we speak of Asia, many of my colleagues think of Japan, China and forget Southeast Asia,” he said.
As for the EU, it maintains that the European Parliament makes statements in its own capacity. However, they do not reflect the official stance of the institution, as agreed with the European Commission and the European Council.
