President Rodrigo Duterte slammed Wednesday former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario for using a diplomatic passport.
“You are no longer an employee. You have no business of using a government diplomatic passport,” Duterte said in his speech at the 122nd Presidential Security Group founding anniversary at the Malacañang Park.
Del Rosario was held and questioned for six hours at the Hong Kong International Airport on June 21 before he was finally denied entry.
READ: Ex-DFA chief denied entry to Hong Kong
Del Rosario went through the same ordeal former Ombudsman chief Conchita Carpio-Morales endured when she was barred from entering Hong Kong in May.
Del Rosario and Morales filed a communication for crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court against Chinese President Xi Jinping in March.
FYI – RA 8239, otherwise known as the Philippines passport Act of 1996,
clearly enumerates the persons to whom a diplomatic passport may be issued, and this does not include former cabinet secretaries. However, for those who have already been issued a diplomatic passport, they may only use the same for an official mission or on official travel. A diplomatic passport must also be re-validated for every travel, as it is valid only on a per travel basis. For re-validation, a travel order is necessary, a travel order is only granted to the incumbent officials and employees of the government
source: inquirer