Philippines warns foreigners not to join protests
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Think twice before joining demonstrations in the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned foreigners on Monday, a few days after it deported a Canadian student arrested last week for joining a protest during Philippine President Benigno Aquino's Sta
The BI said it would arrest and deport foreign tourists caught joining protest rallies in the country, particularly demonstrations against the 10-billion-peso (Bt7.3 billion) “pork-barrel” scam.
“As we have repeatedly stated, foreigners have no business joining these rallies as the act amounts to violating the conditions of their stay as tourists,” BI commissioner Siegfred Mison said.
The BI said it was expecting more rallies protesting the pork-barrel scam.
On Friday, immigration officials deported Canadian student Kim Chatillon-Meunier for joining the protest rally in July. Another activist, Thomas van Beersum, was deported last month, also for joining rallies outside Congress.
The National Union of People’s Lawyers have protested the deportations, saying foreigners do not give up their basic rights when they go to another country.
