Malacañang on Tuesday maintained that the United States should state the reason it canceled the visa of Senator Ronald dela Rosa as “a matter of courtesy” and as a long-time ally of the Philippines.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo insisted that the Philippine government provided a reason why it banned several American senators from entering the country and Washington should do the same.
“We stated why we’re banning the senators from coming here as a matter of courtesy. And among allies, courtesy also requires, we’re not demanding, but as a matter of courtesy, they should have said it to us,” Panelo said in a press briefing.
Shortly after Dela Rosa’s visa was canceled, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the scrapping of the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States.
Asked by reporters if special treatment was given to Dela Rosa, Panelo said: “We are merely asking for courtesy. No, not special because we told them why we banned their senators. Oh, they’re banning also a senator!”
Earlier, the administration barred three US senators after they inserted a rider in the US State Department’s 2020 budget that bars entry into the United States any Philippine officials who were involved in the imprisonment of opposition Senator Leila de Lima, who is on trial on drug charges.
But Panelo said Dela Rosa was canceled even before this dust-up.