Palace on China’s travel advisory: All are welcome except criminals

The Chinese embassy’s travel advisory may have been issued as a reaction to the goverment’s ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators, a Palace official said on Wednesday. Photo shows foreign Pogo workers rounded up during a raid in Pasay City in February. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines —  Everyone is welcome in the Philippines except criminals, the Palace said on Wednesday in response to the Chinese embassy’s travel advisory for its citizens visiting the country.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing that the embassy’s advisory was simply a “normal consular function of China.”

She also emphasized that the Philippines is not targeting any specific nationality for “harassment,” but rather, those who commit crimes are not welcome.

“Tandaan po natin, lahat po dito ay welcome, except po, of course, kapag gumagawa po ng krimen. I-implement po natin kung ano po ang batas,” Castro said.

(Let us remember, everyone here is welcome, except, of course, when committing crimes. We will implement what the law dictates.)

Castro then suggested that the embassy’s travel advisory was likely a response to the government’s ban on all Philippine offshore gaming operators, with many of the Pogo workers being Chinese nationals.

“Malamang po nasasabi po nila ito, dahil sa ating pagpapatupad dito sa Pogo na dapat ay mawala na sa atin, at karamihan po dito ay mga chinese nationals. So, malamang po ay isa ito sa nagiging isyu po,” Castro said.

(Most likely, they are saying this because of our enforcement regarding Pogos, which should be eliminated, and the majority of those involved are Chinese nationals. So, this is probably one of the issues being raised.)

She added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is open to discussing the issue and assured China anew that the Philippine government is not targeting any particular nationality.

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The Chinese embassy, in a travel reminder issued on Tuesday to its citizens coming to the Philippines, cited what it believed to be the frequent incidents of interrogation and harassment of Chinese citizens and businesses amid security concerns due to recent political rallies nationwide.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue a statement on the issue.