DFA: No new Hong Kong travel advisory on PHL

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said the Hong Kong government did not issue a new travel advisory on the Philippines. The DFA said, “We welcome the clarification made by the Hong Kong’s Security Bureau that it did not re-issue its existing travel alert but merely added information on assessments made by other countries." In a statement issued on Monday, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Security Bureau said the additional information on its Outbound Travel Alert webpage “was intended to provide information on assessments made by other administrations." “The additional information is not an updated assessment by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The same was done to other countries where a travel alert is in force," the bureau explained. According to the DFA, the clarification is “appreciated" by the Philippine government “as it places the additional information into proper context." The relationship between the Philippines and Hong Kong has been strained after the August 23 hostage crisis in Manila where eight Hong Kong tourists and the Filipino hostage-taker himself was killed. To appease the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and the international community, the Philippine government undertook measures to safeguard local and foreign tourists. The Philippine National Police deployed tourist-oriented police officers in tourist attractions in Manila and 13 other tourist sites around the country. These police officers will be deployed mostly in major tourist destinations such as Manila, Baguio City, Boracay Island, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Tagaytay and Davao. The PNP Highway Patrol Group also fielded a Special Task Force to prevent robberies against motorists and bus passengers. The Department of Interior and Local Government also issued an order directing Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to submit his answers to the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report, the DFA said. “The IIRC chaired by Secretary of Justice Laila de Lima has been conducting hearings on institutional reforms, and improvements in front-line law enforcement agencies, crisis management capabilities, and emergency protocols applicable to acts of violence are being looked into," the DFA said. The committee will submit its second report and recommendations to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. – VVP, GMANews.TV