MANILA – Philippine law prohibits foreign nationals from engaging in political activities, the Bureau of Immigration reiterated Wednesday, days ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address.
“Joining political demonstrations is an utter display of disrespect to the country’s authorities, and is equivalent to meddling in our internal affairs as a sovereign nation,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.
“We are sending this warning to avoid a repeat of the cases wherein we had to deport foreign protesters,” he added.
Authorities last year deported 71-year-old Australian nun Patricia Fox for supposedly engaging in political acts, including a human rights fact-finding mission in Mindanao.
Also last year, Zimbabwean Tawanda Chandiwana, American
Adam Thomas Shaw, and Malawian Miracle Osman were ordered to leave for involvement
in leftist activities.
Meanwhile, Dutch citizen Thomas
van Beersum was deported in 2013 after taunting a crying policeman
during a protest, while Canadian student Kim Chatillon-Miller was also deported
for joining an anti-SONA demonstration the same year.
Aside from joining political activities, foreigners can also be deported for acts that constitute overthrowing the government, unlawful destruction of property, and violation of the conditions of their stay, noted Morente.
“If found guilty, we will blacklist these foreigners, effectively barring them from re-entering the Philippines,” he warned.
Duterte will bare his legislative agenda in his fourth SONA on Monday, July 22. (ABS-CBN News)
