DFA distances from Bello Hong Kong travel

Protesters, led by Congressman Walden Bello, bottom right, open their yellow and black umbrellas outside the Chinese Consulate at the financial district of Makati city east of Manila, Philippines Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 to express their solidarity with the pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong which some sectors dubbed as “Umbrella Revolution.” AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) washed its hands of the recent visit of Akbayan Representative Walden Bello in Hong Kong to support the pro-democracy protesters.

DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Charles Jose played down Bello’s travel to Hong Kong citing the lawmaker’s own statement that he was going there of his own capacity and initiative.

Previously, the DFA has reiterated the advice of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong for all Filipinos to avoid going to or participating in the demonstrations.

The consulate warned that the fine for disorder in public areas could be as high as HK$5,000 and/or imprisonment for a year.

Jose said that Bello did not coordinate with the DFA before going to Hong Kong.

“He made his statement that he went there on his own private capacity and initiative and he went there not representing the legislature,” Jose said.

Before travelling to Hong Kong, Bello led Akbayan supporters in a “solidarity protest” at the front of the Chinese Consular Office in Makati expressing their support for the pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, Bello spoke before the protesters and shared his experiences of the Philippine’s 1986 People Power revolution that toppled the dictatorship of the late president Ferdinand Marcos.

“We respect his views,” Jose said but reiterated that “the DFA takes no sides on the ongoing situation in Hong Kong and hopes both sides will express their views in a peaceful manner.”

Bello, who is the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, had met with the Consul General in Hong Kong to know more about the situation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there.

There are around 190,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, majority of whom are working as household service workers.

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