Duterte wants to exempt UK-based Pinoys from travel restriction | ABS-CBN

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Duterte wants to exempt UK-based Pinoys from travel restriction

Duterte wants to exempt UK-based Pinoys from travel restriction

Dennis Gasgonia,

ABS-CBN News

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A police boat travels down the River Thames past the London Eye and in front of the Houses of Parliament on Christmas Day in London, Friday, Dec. 25, 2020. Tony Hicks, AP

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said he would not bar United Kingdom-based Filipinos from returning home despite the threat of a mutated COVID-19 there.

A government ban is currently in place for travelers from the UK, but Duterte said he wanted to exempt Filipinos.

"Filipinos coming home, we just have to gamble that hopefully they are not carriers," the President said in a briefing with Cabinet members on Saturday discussing the new COVID-19 variant.

"Whether or not they would come home, we do not escape that . . . I would not agree with the idea of disallowing Filipinos to come home. Mahirap 'yan. Unless we can prove that he is contaminated, tested from the date of the departure hanggang dito, the same protocol naman 'yan e, swabbing and quarantine."

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The President added: "Yung British, foreigners, gusto ko silang . . . . 'Wag muna silang pumasok," said the President. "Kung mahawa tayo ng puti, that is a disaster."

During the meeting, which ran for 3 hours, Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III said his department has received information there were Filipinos in the UK who have contracted the new COVID-19 variant.

"I think, Mr. President, it is also good that isama na rin sa restrictions even yung mga OFWs natin, kasi it is reported by our labor attaché that some of our OFWs, especially in UK, have been contaminated by this new strain," Bello said, adding that it would be better for the Europe-based OFWs to stay put until things return to normal.

He also cited that OFWs displaced by COVID-19 in the UK enjoy a 14-month insurance.

"Ang problema po yung manggaling ng UK o Europe, ito po yung magbabakasyon lang, Mr. President . . . Ang mga insurance benefits nga workers sa UK ay 14 months kaya they can afford to stay and wait for the possibility of going back to normal. Kaya karamihan ng mga uuwi ay for vacation, kung iyon ang purpose nila ay huwag na muna natin silang pauwin," Bello said.

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