Hong Kong's cancellation of visas would have been avoided: Singson
>> Monday, March 10, 2014
By Mar
T. Supnad
VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur -- Rep. Ronald Singson
(First District, Ilcos Sur) blamed
Monday the national government for Hong Kong's cancellation of
visa-free entry privelege of Philippine officials and diplomatic passport
holders, saying this would hve been avoided had the government issued an
apology for the 2010 Manila hostage crisis.
Singson, told this
correspondent that what the Hong Kong leaders just wanted was for the
Philippine government to issue an apology.
News reports said
starting Feb. 5 as part of its sanctions against the Philippines in
connection with the 2010 Manila hostage crisis, diplomats and lawmakers will no
longer be afforded special privileges as announced by Hong Kong Chief
Executive Leung Chun-ying to media.
It was learned that at
present, Filipino holders of official and diplomatic passports enjoy 14-day
visa free status when visiting Hong Kong.
In his privelege
speech, Singson asked members of the House of Representatives to come up with
an apology for the Luneta shooting incident to retain the good rapport between
the Philippines and Hong Kong.
A son of former
governor Chavit Singson, the young Singson expressed fear that
the Philippines might lose its strong ties with Hong Kong for failure of the
executive branch to issue apology for the killing of eight Hong Kong nationals
and injuring nine in Luneta incident.
Singson appealed
to his fellow congressmen to extend apology for the Luneta incident last August
23, 2010.
“If the
Philippine President, who is the head of the Executive Branch of the national
government, doesn't want to issue this much-requested simple apology to the
people of Hong Kong, we in the Philippine Congress, as representatives of the
Filipino People and as a separate branch of the national government, are
willing to issue an apology for this misunderstanding, between Filipinos and
the Hong Kong people, to finally close its chapter,” Singson said.
“I would like to
call your attention regarding a place where many of us Filipino politicians,
business leaders, and hundreds of thousands of OFWs have travelled, while
seeking rest and recreation for our families, transactions for our growing
businesses, and opportunities for high- paying overseas employment. I am
talking about a neighboring overseas location populated by a peace-loving and
hardworking people we all know as Hong Kong. “
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