rioux
Joined: 26 Apr 2012 Posts: 880
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Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:19 am Post subject: Philippines mulls new visa rules for Americans |
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The Philippines has banned two US senators from visiting the country and will impose visas for visiting Americans should the US enforce sanctions over the detention of Senator Leila de Lima, the president’s spokesman said on Friday (December 27).
US senators Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy has sought to deny US entry to Philippine officials involved in the imprisonment of de Lima, an anti-Duterte critic in detention for links to the drug trade during her stint as justice secretary.
“We will not sit idly if they continue to interfere with our processes as a sovereign state,” Philippine presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told the media.
Panelo said that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will impose a requirement on US nationals to get visas should the US deny entry to Philippine officials wanting to visit the country. The Philippines grants visa-free entry for up to 30 days to Americans.
“The case of Senator de Lima is not one of persecution but of prosecution,” said Panelo, who pointed out that travel restrictions over de Lima’s detention did not make sense because she was not wrongfully imprisoned, but detained pending trial for crimes.
The US embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
De Lima has been vocal against Duterte’s war on drugs and has won the support of human rights groups that consider her a prisoner of conscience.
https://www.expatmedia.net/philippines-bans-2-us-senators-mulls-new-visa-rules-americans/2019/12/
If anything, I think it will inconvenience many Filipinos who have become American citizens and may want to return to the Philippines to perhaps visit relatives.
Generally speaking, what do Americans go to the Philippines for? (1) For the women, (2) vacation (beaches, etc), (3) ...anything else?
The above two can easily happen pretty much anywhere else in Southeast Asia or other parts of the world so I say who cares about this stupid threat to impose a visa requirement. I'll just take my vacation money and splurge somewhere else. |
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