PINATITIGIL na ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ang pag-iisyu ng diplomatic passport sa lahat ng mga dating top diplomats.
“The DFA Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) will be issuing an order shortly, canceling all courtesy diplomatic passports, and requiring their surrender for physical cancellation,” pahayag ng DFA.
Ang kautusan nito ng ahensiya ay nag-ugat makaraang hindi papasukin sa bansang Hong Kong si dating Foreign Affairs Sec-retary Albert Del Rosario.
Sinasabing ang ginawang pagharang kay Del Rosario ay may kaugnayan sa pagsasampa ng grupo nito sa International Criminal Court laban kay Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Gayunpaman, maraming nakapuna sa paggamit ng diplomatic passport ni Del Rosario gayung isang pribadong kompanya na ang kanyang kinakatawan sa pagpunta sa Hong Kong at hindi ito maituturing na official business para sa gobyerno.
Ikinatwiran pa ni Del Rosario na ang kanyang diplomatic passport ay inisyu ni dating Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. noong Dec. 20, 2016.
“Since the issuance of the 1993 Department Order, diplomatic passports have been issued to former DFA secretaries as well as ambassadors as a matter of courtesy, not to confer them with diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention, but only to accord them the usual port courtesies at immigration points abroad,” ayon pa sa DFA.
Nauna nang kinuwestiyon ng Malacañang ang paggamit ni Del Rosario ng diplomatic passport.
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