DOT hopes SoKor won’t issue travel ban on Phl
The Department of Tourism (DOT) expressed hope yesterday that South Korea would not impose a travel ban on the Philippines due to the kidnapping and killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo.
The DOT also said it would like Koreans to continue to invest in the country.
As this developed, around 100 militants held a rally in front of the Philippine National Police headquarters at Camp Crame, Quezon City to denounce impunity among law enforcers committing crimes and abuses.
Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said they already extended condolences to South Korea over the death of Jee.
“We told them that we hope this will be settled as soon as possible,” Teo told reporters.
Teo said the implications of the incident were not yet felt as far as tourism was concerned.
South Koreans are among the top Philippine visitors, spending P5.65 billion in the country as of November 2016.
Americans followed with an accumulated spending of P1.98 billion, then visitors from Japan with P1.47 billion, Australia with P776.68 million, and United Kingdom with P596.73 million.
In the same report, 127,547 tourist arrivals from South Korea were recorded, an incasualty crease of 21.09 percent compared to 105,330 in November of 2015.
It was followed by the United States, China, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, Singapore, United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Impunity denounced
At Camp Crame, the protesters, a majority clad in black outfits, condemned the killing of Jee whom they described as another in the government’s war against illegal drugs.
Renato Reyes, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or Bayan, expressed dismay that law enforcers who were supposed to protect the public could commit murder right inside the main police headquarters.
Reyes urged President Duterte to stop issuing a blanket endorsement of killing suspected drug personalities and promising protection for police officers who might face criminal cases in compliance with his order as it only emboldens law enforcers to commit crimes.
“This is getting out of hand. These policemen are using the war on drugs to commit crime like kidnapping or ransom and murder,” Reyes said in a brief interview.
Jee was allegedly killed by operatives of the PNP AntiIllegal Drugs Group (AIDG) on the day he was kidnapped in October last year.
If a foreigner like Jee can be murdered right inside Camp Crame, Reyes expressed concern that ordinary Filipinos could suffer a similar fate.
“These policemen feel they can get away with anything. It’s not acceptable,” Reyes said. “Nobody is being held responsible. It’s called impunity and this is the reason why the war on drugs will fail.”