Lorenzana rebuffs ‘rumors’ on visa cancellation

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday shot down rumors that his US visa was canceled.

The defense chief was sought for comment after Sen. Imee Marcos said at a media forum that she heard “rumors” that Lorenzana and other officials’ US visas were canceled like Sen. Ronald dela Rosa.

“Rumors lang ‘yan (Those are just rumors). No need to dignify it,” Lorenzana told reporters.

Marcos said rumors on blacklisting of Lorenzana would be shocking if true because he was a former defense attache to Washington.

But Lorenzana said he has not received a notice that his visa was canceled.

“‘Di pa naman ako sinasabihan ng US na canceled ang visa ko,” he said.

(I haven’t been informed by the US if my visa has been canceled.)

The defense chief said he last traveled to the US in September 2019.

His fellow government official, Dela Rosa, said Wednesday that he has received an official confirmation that the US government had revoked his visa. The senator said there was no explanation on the cancellation, but acknowledged that it could be because of his key role in President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on drugs when he was chief of the Philippine National Police.

Reports of Dela Rosa’s visa cancellation first surfaced last year amid Washington’s intensified crackdown on supposed violators of human rights.

Edited by KGA