Akbayan to House: Look into Filibeck’s deportation

CEBU, Philippines — Akbayan Partylist Representative Tom Villarin said he will ask the House of Representatives to look into why immigration officials held a European human rights leader who was supposed to attend the party’s program in Cebu.

Giacomo Filibeck, deputy secretary-general of Party of European Socialists, was invited to Akbayan Party’s 7th Regular Congress and 20th anniversary celebration in Cebu. However, immigration personnel held and ordered him deported upon his arrival at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Sunday night.

Party of European Socialists is a sister-party of Akbayan.

According to Villarin, he will file a resolution before the Lower House asking to have the incident looked into.

“The resolution would also look into whether this has implications on our international relations or whether this has an impact of our good standing in the international community especially that Filibeck is here on an official mission and in behalf  of the parliaments of the European Union,” Villarin said in a statement.

In October 2017, Filibeck was part of a fact-finding mission to the Philippines. This was around the time when EU parliamentarians and NGO leaders denounced the killings under President Duterte's campaign against drugs.

Villarin said the only reason cited by the immigration officials in Cebu was that Filibeck, an Italian, was blacklisted for engaging in “illegal political activity.”

“As to what illegal political activity, we do not know,” he said.

Villarin, however, said Filibeck told him over the phone that the immigration officials were polite to him and immediately booked him the earliest flight bound for Dubai.

Villarin said he will also file a report to the European Union parliaments and the Party of European Socialists, who will also file their own resolution to seek an explanation from the Philippine government on why Filibeck was deported.

“The Akbayan resolution will likewise inquire whether this is already the national policy of the Duterte administration coming from international watchdog or member of the parliament from other countries,” Villarin added.

Akbayan chairman and Senator Risa Hontiveros condemned Filibeck’s deportation.

Hontiveros said Filibeck was supposed to talk during the congress about democracy, justice, and hope.

“Kailan ba naging iligal ang panawagan na itigil na ang extrajudicial killing? Kailan ba naging iligal ang panawagan sa karapatang-pantao?” Hontiveros said on the sidelines of her party’s anniversary program in Cebu yesterday.

Senator Bam Aquino said this matter should be investigated to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“Hindi malinaw sa akin kung bakit siya diniport. Dahil meron siyang tinututulan sa ating bayan, e-deport ka na? Hindi naman yata tama yan,” Aquino said. (FREEMAN)