Palace: No word yet from Thomas regarding sex statement

Malacañang has yet to hear from US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. regarding his statement that 40 percent of male tourists in the Philippines come for sex — a claim that ruffled the feathers of some government officials. At a press briefing on Thursday, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that up to now, they are still “waiting for an explanation from the ambassador." “We find it serious that a claim was made since we do not promote the Philippines as a sex haven. The Philippines is a place for diving, it is a wholesome family destination," Lacierda said. He said Malacañang supports the move of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to write Thomas and ask him for clarification regarding his controversial statement. Thomas made the statement at a roundtable discussion among Court of Appeals justices last month. At a Senate hearing last Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario quoted Thomas as saying that he got the information from the DOJ. De Lima said the DOJ does not have figures on sex trade in the Philippines. The DOJ supervises the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the primary government body against human trafficking. Lacierda said Malacañang will ask the Department of Foreign Affairs about what possible action can be taken after receiving Thomas’ explanation. “We would like to ask from the good ambassador the basis of his statement. After receiving that particular explanation, we’ll leave it with the DFA to decide on the best course of action," he said. He said the Aquino administration is concerned with Thomas’ remarks because “we don’t want to be regarded as a sex haven." “There is no tourist sex trade in the Philippines," Lacierda insisted. — Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News