Fast track repatriation of Chinese nationals stranded in NAIA, solon says

MANILA, Philippines — A House lawmaker on Monday called for the fast tracking of the repatriation process of the roughly 300 Chinese nationals who are stranded in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) amid the imposed temporary travel ban in response to the threat of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

“Pabilisin kung paano ibabalik, sino ‘yang papasok kasi kung may Pilipino doon, hindi naman sila kasama doon sa advisory ng Malacañang,” Quezon Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan, who chairs the House committee on health, said in a press briefing.

(Let us fast track their return, and if there are Filipinos there, they are not covered by the advisory of Malacanang.)

The Chinese nationals were stranded as airline companies cancelled flights to and from China.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the Chinese Embassy has pledged to send an aircraft to fetch their citizens who are stranded in the airport.

But while they have yet to be repatriated, Tan said that the government can still extend help by ensuring that they are still in good state and are well-fed.

“Syempre palaging hindi magiging maayos ‘yan dahil uncomfortable ‘yun but at least para naman hindi masabi na pinapabayaan natin yang mga Chinese nationals,” Tan said in a press briefing.

(Of course, it will be uncomfortable but at least it cannot be said that we did not take care of the Chinese nationals.)

For those stranded after they were denied entry into the Philippines, can they be simply be quarantined for 14 days?

Tan said that doing so would just would be breaking the protocol the country has in place at the moment.

“Sinabi na na temporary ban so kung pwede palang papasukin at i-quarantine dapat ‘yun ang sinabi ng gobyerno, ng ating pamahalaan. But since temporary ban, we have to follow ano talaga tung pinapatupad natin,” Tan said.

(If we can allow them to enter the country and just put them on quarantine, the government should have said that instead. But since the order is temporary ban, we have to follow what we are implementing.)

Under President Rodrigo Duterte’s orders, any person, regardless of nationality, directly coming from China and its special administrative regions—namely Hong Kong and Macau—are banned from the entering the country.

Any person, regardless of nationality, who within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines has been to China and its special administrative regions, are also covered by the ban.

The ban, however, does not cover Filipino citizens and holders of a permanent resident visa issued by the Philippine government.

Filipinos and holders of permanent resident visas coming from any place in China and its special administrative regions shall undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.