MalacaƱang has urged Filipinos to avoid traveling to Hong Kong for now after thousand of protesters swarmed the international airport there.
According to Presidential spokesĀman Salvador Panelo, it is ānot the right timeā to visit Hong Kong after several flights to and from Hong Kong have been canceled.
āāYung travel ban siguro with reĀspect kung gusto mo pumunta sa Hong Kong. This is not the right time to go there kasi yung flight mo biglang naka-cancel,ā Panelo said during a Palace press briefing.
āAvoid muna going there, thatās the advice kasi youāre not sure youāre going to reach Hong Kong in the first place,ā he added.
On proposed ban on deployĀment of workers to Hong Kong, Panelo said Labor Secretary SilĀvestre Bello III found no need to prohibit such deployment at the moment. He noted that the mass protest was currently limited at the airport.
āNagkakagulo sa airport. Limited naman ang gulo sa airport,ā he said.
The latest government appeal to Filipino travelers came after mass pro-democracy protests have gripped Hong Kong. Airport auĀthorities in Hong Kong have canĀceled flights when demonstrators gathered in the main terminal to demand the resignation of Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam and denounce alleged police bruĀtality.
The protests started last June following the introduction of a controversial legislation that will allow extradition from Hong Kong to China. The bill has been shelved but the protests continued to deĀmand free elections. (Genalyn Kabiling)