MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) reminded foreign nationals to follow the Philippine laws in light of a recent incident of a Chinese woman throwing a cup of soya pudding, or taho, on a police officer.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said in a press conference on Monday that the foreigners who are visiting or residing in the country must respect the rules and regulations here.
“Sa ating mga kababayan lalo na siguro sa mga foreigners, una they have to obey the law dito gaya nung sa atin kapag nandoon tayo sa kanila we obey their laws, of course [respect] the culture of the country kung nasaan ka,” Albayalde said.
He added: “Even in other countries, kahit sasakay ka ng eroplano bawal ‘yung bottled water din, hindi ba? Doon sumusunod tayo. Bakit dito hindi tayo makasunod? Whether tayo ay Pilipino o foreigner, dapat tayong sumunod dahil iyan ay batas na ipinapatupad.”
Chinese national Jiale Zhang on Saturday splashed her cup of taho at Police Officer 1 William Cristobal after she was denied entry at the Boni Station of the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3).
Zhang has been charged with unjust vexation, direct assault, and disobedience to an agent or person in authority, while Cristobal was awarded the Commendation Medal by the PNP for his behavior during the incident.
The MRT-3 and the Light Rail Transit have recently intensified its policy on banning food and some forms of liquid inside train stations as part of security measures in light of the bombing incident in Jolo, Sulu.
‘DEPORT TAHO-THROWING CHINESE’
Sen. Richard Gordon, meanwhile, called for the deportation of Zhang while also urging the China to advise its citizens to respect the rules and laws of the Philippines.
“China, as our nearest neighbor in Asia, should advise its nationals about complying with the rules and laws of our country and respecting persons in authority here,” Gordon said in a statement on Monday.
“The Chinese passenger should be deported. The Chinese nationals here and all other foreign nationals staying in our country should respect our rules and laws,” the senator added.
“They should not flout our rules and they should also respect the officials who are implementing our laws,” he said./PN
