Del Rosario has no business using diplomatic passport: Duterte

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the 122nd anniversary of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) at the PSG Compound on June 26, 2019. YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has “no business” using a diplomatic passport now that he no longer works for the government, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Wednesday night.

Duterte made this remark after del Rosario was denied entry at the Hong Kong International Airport and held and questioned for six hours last June 21.

“It was Albert representing ‘yung nahuli sa Hong Kong,idinetain. Naggamit-gamit ng passport na hindi naman dapat(when he was detained in Hong Kong. He was using a passport that he should not have used),” Duterte said in his speech during the 122nd founding anniversary of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) at Malacañang Park.

“When you are no longer an employee of government, you have no business using a government diplomatic passport,” he added.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier maintained that del Rosario “created his own problem” by using his courtesy diplomatic passport for his recent personal trip to Hong Kong.

“He (del Rosario) created his own problem so why blame the government for what happened to him,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday (June 25).

“In other words, when you file a case dapat alam mo ang magiging (you should know that) consequence (is) adverse,” Panelo said.

Del Rosario experienced the same ordeal as former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales when she traveled to Hong Kong on May 21. However, the difference is that Carpio-Morales did not use a diplomatic passport.

On March 13 this year, del Rosario and Morales filed a complaint before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Chinese President Xi Jinping for alleged crimes against humanity in the disputed South China Sea.

A day after del Rosario was denied entry at Hong Kong, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) canceled the issuance of courtesy diplomatic passports to all former Philippine ambassadors and DFA secretaries.

“The DFA Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) will be issuing an order shortly, canceling all courtesy diplomatic passports, and requiring their surrender for physical cancellation,” the DFA, through Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Fernandez, said in a statement.

“The practice of issuing courtesy diplomatic passports to former DFA Secretaries and ambassadors shall henceforth be discontinued,” it added.