MANILA - Angkas chief executive officer Angelene Tham on Friday said her firm “respects” Senator Aquilino Pimentel III’s decision to file a resolution seeking to ban her from entering the Philippines.

Pimentel, in a resolution dated January 16, 2020, urged the Senate to declare Tham as persona non grata for allegedly “misleading” and “bullying” government officials through Angkas’ December rally that allegedly paralyzed traffic in parts of Metro Manila.

• Pimentel wants Angkas boss declared ‘persona non grata’
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“We respect the prerogative of the good senator and hope to move forward from these issues,” Tham said in a statement.

“We have high regard for the Senate and hope for a positive result in the process,” she said.

The Philippines’ largest motor taxi-hailing firm will “focus” on “cooperating and collaborating” with the government in conducting a pilot study that seeks to find best practices in regulating the industry, Tham said.

The Singaporean businesswoman was mum about Pimentel’s allegations that Angkas violated the country’s 40 percent foreign ownership cap as 99.99 percent of the firm was owned by Tham.

Angkas earlier said that a Filipino investor-owned 60 percent of the company, but it has yet to reflect in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents.

Supporters of Angkas - one of the most active companies on social media - earlier slammed Pimentel for criticizing the company, alleging the senator was only making room for JoyRide, another motorcycle-hailing app.

Pimentel denied reports that his wife was related to JoyRides’ officials, but admitted that the company’s Business Development Adviser Edwin Rodriguez is also secretary-general of the ruling PDP-Laban.

Pimentel is the president of PDP-Laban, while President Rodrigo Duterte sits as its chairman.