MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has banned another United States lawmaker from entering the Philippines. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo confirmed Wednesday that Duterte banned Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts for calling for the release of Sen. Leila de Lima, and for supporting the entry ban to the US of Filipino officials believed to have had a hand in her detention. Truth to tell we do not have to state any ground to ban a foreign national entry in the Philippines. De Lima has been detained at the custodial center of the Phiippine National Police in Quezon City since 2017 due to alleged drug charges. If the US would enforce the ban, Panelo said the Philippines would require Americans to secure visas before entering the country.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 01, 2020 04:07 UTC