Senators agree that politics influenced Taiwan travel restriction

The travel ban on Taiwan, ostensibly part of the effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease-2019, was also rooted in politics, both Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Panfilo Lacson said Saturday.

"Ang nangyari sa Taiwan, para sa akin pinasukan ng pulitika. Hindi ko alam kung saan galing ang advisory – kung sa WHO o sa mga advisers ng administration, ang importante rito ay wala namang kaso sa Taiwan," Drilon said in an interview.

Lacson shared the same view, claiming that the reason behind the implementation of the ban could only be political.

"[W]ala naman talagang ibang pwedeng paniwalaan nating dahilan other than political sa travel ban na na-impose [...] Walang health reason para mag-impose tayo ng travel ban against Taiwan," Lacson said in a separate radio interview.

Lacson also pointed out that there were only 18 confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 cases in Taiwan despite its 23 million population.

"I think ill-advised in the first place ang ginawang travel ban kasi ang magsa-suffer ang mga kababayan nating naroon. Pagkatapos, hindi makatwiran," Lacson said.

"Kaya nga mahirap isipin na hindi political o hindi lobby ng China ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nag-impose ng travel ban," he added.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said that Taiwan was also covered in the Philippines' travel restrictions.

"[D]apat DOH lang ang magsalita at huwag sanang pasukan ng pulitika kagaya ng nakikita ko rito sa ginawang pag-ban sa Taiwan," Drilon said.

The ban was lifted on Friday, days after Taiwan threatened to retaliate against the Philippines. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News