Palace keeps hands off Carpio-Morales case, says it's between her and China
Published May 22, 2019 07:52 pm
By Argyll Geducos
Malacañang is not having anything from what is transpiring between former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and China after Morales was denied entry to Hong Kong Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after immigration authorities at an airport in Hong Kong held Morales Tuesday and was deported back to the Philippines the same day. In his Wednesday press briefing, Panelo said Malacañang will be keeping its hands off the issue and will be leaving the matter to the former Filipino official and China. "We feel that it's between the former Ombudsman Conchita Morales and the Chinese government in what transpired there. Because I think there was no official communication as to the whys and the wherefores of the delay of the entry of her and her family," he said. When asked if Hong Kong's action is a possible retaliation after Morales communicated with the International Criminal Court (ICC) about China's actions in the disputed waters, Panelo said it is up to Morales on how she would look at the issue. "We do not know. I think only the former Ombudsman would know how to perceive or think about any action of the Chinese government against her," he said. The Palace official then said that while they would not intrude in China's immigration laws, he said that the Philippine government would be ready to assist Filipinos who are denied entry to other countries. "What we're interested in is that all Filipinos who go abroad and are confronted with problems that will affect their lives, security, and welfare, we will provide government assistance, as we have provided the former Ombudsman. That's our only concern," Panelo said. "We cannot intrude into the immigration laws of any country, in the same way, that we expect that they cannot intrude into ours," he added. Morales was reported to fly to Hong Kong with her family for a vacation but was barred from entering China's special administrative region. Hong Kong authorities did not give an explanation for such actions. Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario hauled Chinese President Xi Jinping to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity in the disputed portions of the South China Sea. Upon her return to the country, the former Ombudsman said what she experienced in Hong Kong is a form of bullying. "How do you call it if it's not bullying? I think someone came up with a theory that shocked and awe daw. Hindi naman ako nasha-shock, 'di naman ako naa-awe. Nabu-buwisit lang (But I was neither shocked nor awed, just irritated)," she said. The former magistrate also said that she feels paranoid after learning that her phones were "hacked" as early as several years ago. "My telephones are hacked, that's why I'm already paranoid. May phone message akong galing sa isang editor, na-hack siguro two weeks (I have messages from an editor, maybe my phone was hacked two weeks) ago. But someone told me it was as early as several years ago," Morales said. "I expected pero parang (but I think) it was far-fetched, you know it could be a possibility," she added.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after immigration authorities at an airport in Hong Kong held Morales Tuesday and was deported back to the Philippines the same day. In his Wednesday press briefing, Panelo said Malacañang will be keeping its hands off the issue and will be leaving the matter to the former Filipino official and China. "We feel that it's between the former Ombudsman Conchita Morales and the Chinese government in what transpired there. Because I think there was no official communication as to the whys and the wherefores of the delay of the entry of her and her family," he said. When asked if Hong Kong's action is a possible retaliation after Morales communicated with the International Criminal Court (ICC) about China's actions in the disputed waters, Panelo said it is up to Morales on how she would look at the issue. "We do not know. I think only the former Ombudsman would know how to perceive or think about any action of the Chinese government against her," he said. The Palace official then said that while they would not intrude in China's immigration laws, he said that the Philippine government would be ready to assist Filipinos who are denied entry to other countries. "What we're interested in is that all Filipinos who go abroad and are confronted with problems that will affect their lives, security, and welfare, we will provide government assistance, as we have provided the former Ombudsman. That's our only concern," Panelo said. "We cannot intrude into the immigration laws of any country, in the same way, that we expect that they cannot intrude into ours," he added. Morales was reported to fly to Hong Kong with her family for a vacation but was barred from entering China's special administrative region. Hong Kong authorities did not give an explanation for such actions. Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario hauled Chinese President Xi Jinping to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity in the disputed portions of the South China Sea. Upon her return to the country, the former Ombudsman said what she experienced in Hong Kong is a form of bullying. "How do you call it if it's not bullying? I think someone came up with a theory that shocked and awe daw. Hindi naman ako nasha-shock, 'di naman ako naa-awe. Nabu-buwisit lang (But I was neither shocked nor awed, just irritated)," she said. The former magistrate also said that she feels paranoid after learning that her phones were "hacked" as early as several years ago. "My telephones are hacked, that's why I'm already paranoid. May phone message akong galing sa isang editor, na-hack siguro two weeks (I have messages from an editor, maybe my phone was hacked two weeks) ago. But someone told me it was as early as several years ago," Morales said. "I expected pero parang (but I think) it was far-fetched, you know it could be a possibility," she added.