HK reinstates 14-day visa-free privilege of PHL officials, diplomats

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday reinstated the 14-day visa-free arrangement of Philippine officials and diplomats, which it canceled in January as one of the sanctions imposed in connection with the 2010 Manila hostage crisis.

 

“The resolution of the incident enables the normalization of the bilateral relations between Hong Kong and the Philippines. I therefore announce that the sanction against the Philippines is lifted immediately,” said Hong Kong Chief Executive Chun Ying Leung in a press statement posted on the Hong Kong government website.

 

“The 14-day visa-free arrangement applicable to holders of diplomatic or official passports of the Republic of the Philippines for visiting Hong Kong is reinstated,” he said.

 

The announcement came after Leung's meeting with Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and six councilors of Manila on Wednesday.

 

Leung said that during the meeting, Estrada presented City Council of Manila Resolution No. 115 which expresses the apology of the City Government of Manila for the incident, and Resolution No. 147 which declares July 14 of the lunar calendar and August 23 of the Gregorian calendar of every year as days of prayer for the souls of those who died in the incident.

 

“Following the efforts in the past six months, I now announce that the two governments and the victims and their families have reached consensus on the resolution of the four demands,” Leung said.

 

After the incident that left seven Hong Kong tourists dead, the Hong Kong government made four demands to the Philippine governments – formal apology, compensation for the families of the victims, sanctions against responsible officials and individuals and tourist safety measures.

 

On January 29, the Hong Kong government canceled the visa-free arrangement of Philippine government officials and diplomats after its demand for a formal apology from the Philippine government was not heeded.

 

Prior to that, the Hong Kong government also raised a black travel alert status against the Philippines. The black travel alert is the most serious in Hong Kong's three-tier outbound travel alert system. The others include red (significant threat) and amber (signs of threat).

 

Leung also announced the downgrading of the travel alert status to amber which was the case before the Manila hostage crisis occurred.

 

The amber travel alert means Hong Kong residents who intend to visit the Philippines or are already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, and attend to personal safety. —Elizabeth Marcelo/KG, GMA News