Office of the President yet to release details on Duterte’s order stopping Cabinet members from going to US

January 30, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano on Thursday said the Office of the President has yet to release details of President Rodrigo Duterte’s order not allowing his Cabinet members to go to the United States.

“I’m sure the Office of the President will issue a document defining the coverage of the instruction of the president,” Ano said in an interview with reporters in Makati City.

Ano said it could be one of the topics on their Cabinet meeting scheduled on February 4.

Last night, Duterte barred his Cabinet officials from going to the United States and expressed his dissatisfaction over the US decision to bar entry of Filipino government officials who were allegedly involved in the human rights violations in the Philippines, including the continued detention of opposition Senator Leila de Lima.

But Duterte did not say if the order is for official visits and if they can go to the US for personal trips.

Duterte's decision was also made after Senator Ronald Dela Rosa confirmed that his US visa was cancelled. Dela Rosa is one of Duterte’s close allies.

Ano said seeking medication in the United States can be an exemption.

“If you are sick and seeking medical treatment, I think those are exemption but for now we will abide by the instruction of the President,” he said.

He even joked about not having any plans in going to the US.

“I don’t have plans because I need to take care of a lot of things here,” Ano said.

Asked if it’s reasonable for them to be ordered not to go to US, the interior secretary said as members of Duterte’s Cabinet, they have to “set aside personal opinions and reasons”.

“That is the instruction of the President and as a member of his cabinet, as family, we have to abide and we have set aside our personal opinions and reasons,” he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS