NICA, DFA recommend lifting of ban on HK journalists

MANILA, Philippines - The government is expected to lift the ban on nine Hong Kong journalists who heckled President Aquino during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bali, Indonesia in 2013.

National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) director general Ager Ontog recommended the lifting of the ban to the Bureau of Immigration (BI). Secretary Albert del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs made a similar recommendation.

The report said NICA submitted its recommendation to Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison Friday. Ontog was quoted as saying he did not have regrets in blacklisting the foreign journalists.

Ontog said the blacklisting was part of their security preparations for the Philippines’ hosting of the World Economic Forum held in Manila in May of this year and the APEC summit in November next year.

NICA reportedly decided to lift the ban after the intelligence community did not find evidence that the journalists pose a threat. There was also no similar incident when the President attended the recent APEC summit in Beijing, China.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, in an interview after he was conferred the Management Man of the Year 2014 award by the Management Association of the Philippines at The Peninsula Manila Hotel yesterday, confirmed the DFA recommended the lifting of the ban.

Del Rosario noted that the BI did not consult the DFA when it acted on NICA’s earlier recommendation to ban the Hong Kong journalists.

Meanwhile, a source said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has recommended the relief of Mison following the incident. The source added that De Lima wanted Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano to replace Mison.

De Lima also ordered the relief of BI spokesperson Elaine Tan for issuing a statement about the blacklisting of the nine Hong Kong journalists, the source added.

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) criticized the blacklisting, saying it had a chilling effect on journalists.

“If the government’s intelligence agency does not like the way you ask questions, you may be labeled a public safety threat and blacklisted from the Philippines,” FOCAP said.

FOCAP is seeking clarification from the BI and NICA on their basis to declare the journalists a public safety threat.

“In this regard, we would like to be clarified as to what manner of questioning the President constitutes a public safety threat,” FOCAP said. – With Evelyn Macairan, Pia Lee-Brago, Jaime Laude