Palace won’t allow foreigners to disrespect authorities

“Ms. Zhang entered the baggage inspection area where two security personnel have asked her to consume first her ‘taho’ before entering the station, but the former insisted not to do so,” it said. (File Photo: Pau Mesias/Facebook)

MANILA — Foreigners will never be allowed to break Philippine laws and disrespect authorities, Malacañang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark after a Chinese woman who threw a cup of taho (soya pudding) at a cop was charged before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office Monday.

On Saturday, Jiale Zhang was caught on CCTV throwing a cup of taho at PO1 William Cristobal at the MRT-3 Boni Avenue station after he refused to let her enter amid a ban on bottled liquids in trains.

“Foreign nationals who sojourn in this country should always behave otherwise they are subject to laws and deportation,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“We will not allow them to disrespect authorities or violate any law or ordinance in this country,” he added.

Panelo, however, echoed the stand of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who earlier tweeted that the incident should not be made a big deal.

“I think I will follow the line of Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin on that matter. He issued a twitter on that. Secretary Locsin, he said that let us not blowup this issue,” Panelo said.

“That particular incident happens almost anywhere, let’s not make a big deal out of it. But moreover, she has been charged, one. Number two, I think they are considering her deportation,” he added.

Panelo, meanwhile, slammed the statement of Vice President Leni Robredo saying the incident should serve as a wake-up call to avoid giving special treatment to Chinese nationals.

“Maybe it’s a wake-up call to her to stop speculating and stop giving statements that may inflame incidents that need not be so,” Panelo said.

He described the taho-throwing report as an “isolated incident” noting that regardless of nationality, there were “rude” people who cause conflict between parties.

“I think so. I have not heard of any other incidents, I mean publicly. But there have been rudeness on certain nationalities,” Panelo said

“It’s not limited to Chinese; Koreans do that also, Japanese, perhaps it depends. Because sometimes, Filipinos can also be rude so it can trigger conflict between the two,” he added.