Duterte’s ‘change is coming’ slogan achieved via foreign policy, says professor

President Rodrigo Duterte has succeeded in staying true to his "change is coming" slogan, at least in the foreign policy aspect, a professor said Wednesday.

"Definitely malaki yung pagbabago na na-introduce pagdating sa foreign policy natin. Unang una, yung pag-pursue ng independent foreign policy," Dr. Aileen Baviera, a professor at the Asian Center of University of the Philippines, said in a media forum. 

She said success in pushing for an independent foreign policy could be interpreted in a number of ways.

"Number one yung, diversifying partnerships rather than simply depending on one partner or leaning to one side, nagawa naman ng Pangulo ‘yon — sa China, Russia, Japan, ASEAN — lahat ng mga bansang ‘yan napuntahan na ng Pangulo at nandiyan pa rin ang US," said Baviera.

"Although sa umpisa may mga missteps, rather than nagde-develop na ang bagong partners, na-antagonize yung mga dating tumutulong dito," she added.

In September 2016, Duterte declared that the Philippines under his administration would pursue an independent foreign policy. This led to the strengthening of ties with China and Russia.

The Philippines earlier also told the European Union that it would no longer accept development aid from the foreign body.

Ambassador Franz Jessen said the decision to cut aid from the EU would mean the loss of about 250 million euros ($278.73 million) worth of grants mostly allocated to Muslim communities.

This move came days after Duterte won billions of dollars in pledges from China after attending the Belt and Road summit in Beijing.

However, Jessen said that EU would continue its development assistance to the Philippines until Duterte has clarified its policy of rejecting aid from the foreign body.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayteno said the decision to end EU's development assistance conveyed a message to Europe that the Philippines is "an independent nation with an independent foreign policy." — MDM/KVD, GMA News