Locsin ‘pledges PH support’ for embattled Hong Kong leader Lam
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2019 12:44:04 +0000
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday “pledged Philippine support” for beleaguered Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
Locsin made the remark as Lam denied reports that she thought of resigning amid the political turmoil hounding China’s special administrative region (SAR) arising from her administration’s move to pass the controversial extradition bill.
She was angered by an audio leak where she lamented having caused “unforgivable havoc” by igniting a political crisis that had hounded the city and would quit if she had a choice.
Hong Kong is gripped with violent protests as some residents reject the bill that would allow people from the mainland suspected of crimes in Hong Kong to be extradited to China to face trial before its courts.
“[I had] met her. She’a sterling. I pledged Philippine support for her. The President (Rodrigo Duterte) mentioned this in China on my insistence,” Locsin said on Twitter.
“I hadn’t cleared it with him (President Duterte) but he did say at my swearing in that the ball was in my hands and to play it as I see fit,” Locsin tweeted.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Lam said, “The choice of not resigning is my own choice. I told myself repeatedly in the past that few months that I, and my team, should stay on to help Hong Kong and to help Hong Kong in a very difficult situation. I’d rather stay on and walk this path together with my team and the people of Hong Kong.”
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, in a statement, said, “From this dark part of the world, we raise our voice in solidarity with the young people of Hong Kong.”
“As Filipinos face the most brazen contempt of our most basic human right to life, we look to the young people of Hong Kong in awe, inspired by their courage to insist on their fundamental right to determine the course of their future, their collective life as a people,” he said.
“As Filipinos face the most shameless displays of State power, we look to the young and not-so-young people of Hong Kong in humility, re-learning the timeless lesson of unity against tyranny – unarmed but for the audacity to speak the truth together,” he said.
Pangilinan added, “To the people of Hong Kong who are laying everything on the line for the values we all hold dear, thank you for your peaceful protests, for outwitting our common enemy might with right, for showing the way for all oppressed people everywhere.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in August advised Filipinos in Hong Kong to avoid, for their safety, certain areas where protests were being held.
Due to the unpredictable situation in Hong Kong, the DFA, through its Philippine Consulate General, regularly monitors developments related to the ongoing protests there.
It advises Filipino travelers who have no urgent business in the Chinese province to avoid the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as a destination or transit airport.
Filipino travelers departing from Hong Kong are requested to contact their airlines at least five hours before their scheduled flights to check if these would push through, the DFA said.
The consulate had sought the release of a Filipino who was arrested on August 3 in Mong Kok on suspicion that he took part in the protest action in the area.
The Filipino said that he was accosted by the police “in the belief that he was one of the protesters” because he was wearing a black t-shirt.
The DFA said the consulate had provided assistance to the unidentified Filipino who denied that he was taking part in the protest.
He said that he was in the area to buy food, passing through the side streets, knowing that protests were ongoing in the main roads. BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO