Philippine President, Rodrigo
Duterte has banned two U.S senators from entering the country, and threatened
to require all U.S citizens to apply for a visa.
Duterte immediately ordered the
Bureau of Immigration to deny U.S Senators Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy
entry to the Philipines, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
Dpa reports that the lawmakers
had introduced a provision in the U.S national budget prohibiting the entry in
the United States of Philippine government officials involved in the alleged
wrongful detention of opposition Senator Leila de Lima on illegal drug charges.
“Should a ban from entry into U.S
territory be enforced against Philippine officials involved in – or by reason
of Senator de Lima’s lawful imprisonment.
“ This government will require
all Americans intending to come to the Philippines to apply and secure a visa
before they can enter Philippine territory,’’ Panelo said.
He noted that Durbin and Leahy
were imperious, uninformed and gullible for believing that de Lima was
wrongfully imprisoned.
“The case of Senator de Lima is
not one of persecution but of prosecution, he said.
“In fact, it is already being
heard by our courts.’’
De Lima has been detained since
February 2017 over allegations she received payoffs from jailed illegal drug
lords when she was head of the Department of Justice.
She has denied the allegations,
and accused the Duterte administration of political persecution.
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