DFA cancels diplomatic passports of ex-chiefs, envoys

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it would cancel all courtesy diplomatic passports issued to former officials and diplomats, including that of former secretary Albert del Rosario. 

This policy change will be implemented after questions were raised over Del Rosario’s use of a diplomatic passport when he was barred from entering Hong Kong on Friday. 

For Malacañang, though, the former top diplomat may have “misused” the diplomatic passport as his travel to the Chinese territory was “private in nature” and is “in no way related to government or foreign service.”

“As the country’s former chief diplomat, Mr. Del Rosario should have known or have been alerted to the proper use of diplomatic passports and other travel documents,” said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo.

“Moreover, given the experience of the former ombudsman, Mr. Del Rosario should have been prudent enough to ensure that Hong Kong, a Chinese Special Administrative Region, has no objection to his entry. Certainly, any country has the authority and the right to bar entry to any foreign national to its territory,” Panelo added.

While both Del Rosario and former ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who was deported from Hong Kong last month, filed a complaint against China for violations of environmental laws, Panelo said the denial of entry has nothing to do with the case.

The DFA said Del Rosario was issued a diplomatic passport in December 2016 in line with a 1993 department order that grants courtesy diplomatic passports to former secretaries and ambassadors. 

It added that Del Rosario’s diplomatic passport, which is valid until 2021, was revalidated in June 18 for a business trip to Hong Kong.

“Since the issuance of the 1993 department order, diplomatic passports have been issued to former DFA secretaries as well as ambassadors as a matter of courtesy, not to confer them with diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention, but only to accord them the usual port courtesies at immigration points abroad,” the agency explained. 

But Senate President Vicente Sotto III questioned the revalidation as he cited Republic Act 8239 or the Philippine Passport Act, which provides that diplomatic passports should only be carried by incumbent government officials and only for official missions.

“If diplomatic passports are only for government officials, why did the DFA revalidate the diplomatic passport?” he said over dwIZ.

On the heels of the incident involving Del Rosario, the DFA said its office of consular affairs would be issuing an order cancelling all courtesy diplomatic passports and requiring their surrender for physical cancellation.

“The practice of issuing courtesy diplomatic passports to former DFA secretaries and ambassadors shall henceforth be discontinued,” it added. 

No reason was provided as to why the policy will be amended. 

On Twitter, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. also explained that issuing diplomatic passports to former secretaries is a tradition. He noted, however, that using such is a disadvantage to him as this requires Palace permission when he travels. 

“So I traveled with ordinary passport whenever I could,” he wrote. 

Locsin said they are also addressing the issue of Del Rosario being banned from Hong Kong. 

“He’s a Filipino in case we all forgot. I did it first time for a traveling group of business people,” he added. 

Like what it would do to any other Filipino, Panelo said the Philippine government, through the consular office in Hong Kong, provided assistance to Del Rosario.

“Notwithstanding his penchant to capitalize and politicize issues related to PRRD (President Duterte)’s foreign policy towards China, he remains a Filipino citizen entitled to protection and assistance from the Philippine government,” Panelo added.