Palace on Morales getting held in HK: Only China knows why

Only China would know why it barred former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales from entering Hong Kong on Tuesday with her family, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo has said.

“Only the Chinese government knows who are security risk. We will be incompetent to determine that,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a text message to GMA News Online.

“We will defer to the immigration laws and rules of other countries much as we expect foreign nations to respect our country's internal rules.”

Asked if the Hong Kong immigration’s move was a retaliation to Morales’ legal action against the Chinese government in relation to the maritime dispute, Panelo said: “No idea. I cannot speculate.”

Panelo, in a separate message to reporters, said that the Department of Foreign Affairs was already assisting Morales and her family.

“We will render assistance to every Filipino in need of assistance abroad regardless of their political persuasion,” he said.

In March, Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario filed a communication against China's President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and China's envoy to Manila Zhao Jianhua before the International Criminal Court for allegedly committing crimes against humanity in connection with China's activities to gain control over most of the South China Sea.

Zhao has dismissed the communication as a "fabrication" and "vicious" attack on the Chinese leadership.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Malacañang meanwhile raised the issue of lack of jurisdiction given that China is not a state party to the Rome Statute—the treaty which created the ICC.

The features and waters in the South China Sea are contested in part or in whole by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and China. —NB/BM, GMA News