NUPL hits Immigration for exclusion order vs Australian prof

MANILA, Philippines — The National Union of People’s Lawyers on Tuesday slammed the Bureau of Immigration for ordering the exclusion of Australian professor and human rights advocate Gil Boehringer.

The NUPL, in a statement, said that it has immediately extended legal assistance to Boehringer upon his exclusion.

The group said that it trooped to the BI’s main office to get a “complete picture of the charges” against Boehringer, but they were, instead, only given the order putting the Australian professor under the blacklist.

Boehringer, an 84-year-old Australian professor and human rights advocate, was barred entry to the country upon his arrival, midnight of August 8.

Past noon of August 14, Boehringer boarded a flight to Guangzhou where he will be taking a connecting flight to Sydney, said the NUPL.

The group said that on August 9, they asked Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente to recall the exclusion order so Boehringer may be given medical check up before he boards the flight back to his point of origin, but this was denied.

Immigration said that he was placed on the blacklist for reportedly participating in a rally in November 2015, which is “in clear violation of the BI Operations Order prohibiting foreigners in engaging in political activities.”

Boehringer has denied this allegation. He also asked the Philippine government “to recognize me as a person who has visited the country over many years with no subversive intent.”

The NUPL filed a succeeding request to allow entry on medical and humanitarian ground on August 10. “However, the BI exploited all legal and bureaucratic maneuvers to dangle their approval of the said request."

“In an orchestrated manner of sugarcoating the injustice with legal rhetorics, the BI insensitively and mercilessly, have us the roundabout, putting the life of Prof. Boehringer in serious peril and in grave violation of his human rights,” the NUPL said.

“Until the last minute, the BI refused to squarely address the professor's request for allow entry on medical and humanitarian grounds, but directed instead the airline company to immediately board the elderly professor onto the next flight out of NAIA, despite his medical condition,” the NUPL added.

The group vowed that it will continue to stand with Boehringer as he defend himself against the “trumped up charges” against him.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has earlier said that Boehringer may still appeal his case. However, a delisting, Guevarra stressed, “may not be compelled and is purely an act of grace on the part of the sovereign state.”

Sandoval, for her part, said that if Boehringer will submit “sufficient proof to reverse the blacklist, it may be lifted accordingly.” — Kristine Joy Patag