By Vanne Elaine Terrazola Two senators believed that the refusal of immigration authorities to let former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales enter Hong Kong last Tuesday should be respected, saying that this was the prerogative of the host country. Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales (center) is being escorted by airport police after returning from a nixed Hongkong trip at NAIA Terminal 2, late Tuesday.
(Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN) "It happens every now and then not only in HK but in other countries involving Filipinos. We sometimes cannot fathom other country's policies," Sotto told the Manila Bulletin when asked for his comment Wednesday. " DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) is looking into it as far as I know because it involves a former government official," he added. Sotto, however, was not convinced that the move could be considered as "bullying" as Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario had lamented after having filed a complaint against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Senate chief said DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has yet to rule that the incident was indeed a case of harassment of China's critics. "Who said so? I saw the tweet of DFA Sec. and he says nothing of the sort. No word yet," Sotto said. In a tweet Wednesday morning, Locsin said Morales was "speculative" when she raised the ICC complaint as the reason behind Hongkong's refusal, although Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra agreed with the former Ombudsman. "As usual and to be expected of a great legal practitioner, her answer is precisely speculative: 'she believed it had to do with the ICC case.' A belief pretty much shared by another brilliant legal mind, Justice Secretary Guevara, but still a belief nonetheless," Locsin posted. Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, for his part, said the Philippines cannot question the Chinese authorities' move. "That's sovereign power of China-HK. Nothing we can do about it," Pimentel said in a text message. Asked about Morales' statements, he maintained: "It's a sovereign act." Morales flew to Hongkong with her family on Tuesday when immigration authorities denied her entry for being a "security threat," reports said. Locsin, in a Twitter post, quoted airport officials saying their denial was only an "instruction" from a source he did not identify. After being held at the Hong Kong airport for hours, Morales was eventually allowed entry to the Special Administrative Region of China, but by then, she and her family had already decided to fly home Tuesday night. Last March 13, Morales and Del Rosario wrote the ICC, asking for a preliminary examination against Xi and other China officials for their alleged crimes against humanity due to China's activities in the West Philippines Sea.