PH eyes suspension of visa issuance amid COVID-19 lockdown | ABS-CBN

ADVERTISEMENT

dpo-dps-seal
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!

PH eyes suspension of visa issuance amid COVID-19 lockdown

PH eyes suspension of visa issuance amid COVID-19 lockdown

ABS-CBN News

 | 

Updated Mar 19, 2020 09:49 PM PHT

Clipboard

MANILA - The Philippines is considering the suspension of visa issuances as large parts of it are under lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to the country's top diplomat.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is also considering halting visa-free travel afforded to foreigners, except for travelers in Southeast Asia, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Wednesday.

"DFA considering suspension of visa free privilege except for ASEAN. Also stopping visa issuance worldwide during period of lockdown," he wrote on his official Twitter account.

"And no more visa upon arrival even if we stamp passports with DFA stamp showing most of South China Sea and Pacific up to Guam as Philippine territory," Locsin added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Before implementing such move, he said he would have to consult the Department of Tourism (DOT).

"Before @DFAPHL even begins to consider suspending the issuance of visas in all or some of our foreign posts, I will ask Tourism Secretary Berna (Romulo-Puyat) first what she thinks of it because it is her sector that keeps taking a beating so she should always be consulted first," Locsin wrote in a separate tweet Thursday.

More than 100 countries are allowed to enter the Philippines visa-free for a period of stay of 30 days or less.

With the enhanced community quarantine imposed over Luzon, several flights have already been canceled; inbound flights throughout the quarantine period will be limited for the repatriation of Filipinos overseas; travel of diplomats and uniformed personnel for official business, especially those transporting medical supplies, laboratory specimens related to the COVID-19, and other humanitarian assistance, however, are exempted from restrictions.

For outbound flights, overseas Filipino workers, balikbayans, and foreigners intending to depart the Philippines from Luzon are allowed to leave at any time during the enhanced community quarantine period provided that proof of international travel itinerary scheduled within 24 hours must be presented.

Holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative (SAR) passports and the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports are allowed to travel the Philippines without a visa for a stay not exceeding 14 days. There is however a standing ban due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In January, the Philippine government temporarily suspended issuance of visa on arrival for Chinese citizens due to the threat of the novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan City in Hubei province, China.

As of March 14, travel restrictions were imposed in China and its special administrative regions, except for Filipinos and their spouse or children, foreigners with permanent resident visas, and members of the diplomatic corps.

To date, the Philippines has tallied 217 coronavirus infections, including 17 deaths and 8 recoveries. - With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

ADVERTISEMENT

Trump says Zelensky and Putin must 'get together'

Trump says Zelensky and Putin must 'get together'

Agence France-Presse

Clipboard

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin will have to "get together" to end the war between Moscow and Kyiv.

Trump's comments marked a shift from criticizing Zelensky as a "dictator," after the Ukrainian president complained that his country -- invaded by Russia in 2022 -- had been left out of talks between US and Russian officials.

"President Putin and President Zelensky are going to have to get together. Because you know what? We want to stop killing millions of people," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump added Kyiv would "hopefully in the next fairly short period of time" sign a deal handing Washington preferential access to Ukraine's mineral deposits.

ADVERTISEMENT

"They're very brave, in every way you can imagine. But we are spending our treasure on some country that's very, very far away," Trump said of Ukraine.

Trump wants Ukraine to give US companies access to its vast natural resources as compensation for the tens of billions of dollars of aid delivered under his predecessor Joe Biden.

In return, Ukraine is seeking security guarantees from the United States for signing away the precious rights.

Zelensky -- who had rejected the agreement -- said Friday he hoped for a "fair result."

- Trump: Ukraine has no 'cards' -

The minerals deal has become a major sticking point in the increasingly fraught relations between Washington and Kyiv.

In a public spat, Trump this week called Zelensky a "dictator without elections" and falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war.

Earlier Friday, Trump described Ukraine as at a disadvantage in the negotiations -- further alarming allies who think he will offer concessions to Putin.

"I've had very good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine. They don't have any cards," Trump said at the White House.

His call for Zelensky and Putin to work together came despite him saying in a Fox News interview that it was not "very important" for Zelensky to be involved in US-Russia talks.

Trump again declined to blame Russia for the February 2022 invasion, saying that Putin "attacked but they shouldn't have let him attack."

The US president added that Putin -- the Russian strongman for whom he has repeatedly expressed admiration -- faced no pressure to make a deal.

"He doesn't have to make a deal, because if he wanted, he'd get the whole country," Trump said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer -- who are both due at the White House next week for potentially tricky discussions -- have been accused by Trump of doing nothing to end the war.

Macron said Friday he will tell Trump that "you can't be weak with President Putin."

- Europe 'must do more' -

On the ground, both sides in the war are trying to improve their position on the battlefield amid Trump's push for a ceasefire.

Russia's army on Friday said it had captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine.

With Europe shaken by the new US stance on the conflict, Ukraine got renewed support from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"We won't leave Ukraine alone and decide things over their heads," he said Friday at his last major campaign event before weekend elections.

After speaking to Scholz and other regional leaders, Zelensky said in his televised evening address that "Europe must and can do much more to ensure that peace is actually achieved" in Ukraine.

On the diplomatic front, the United States proposed Friday a resolution at the United Nations that omitted any mention of Kyiv's territory occupied by Russia.

Washington's text, seen by AFP, calls for a "swift end to the conflict" without mentioning Kyiv's territorial integrity, and was welcomed by Moscow's ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia as "a good move."

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.