The Philippines has barred two U.S. senators from visiting the country and has threatened new visa requirements for American travelers.
Effective Friday, Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Dick Durbin of Illinois are no longer allowed to travel to the island nation because of a provision they introduced in the 2020 budget that bars entry into the United States for any Filipinos involved in the jailing of Filipina Sen. Leila de Lima.
The announcement was made Friday by President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo, according to CNN Philippines.
“The Philippines is immediately ordering the Bureau of Immigration to deny US Senators Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy — the imperious, uninformed, and gullible American legislators who introduced the subject provisions into the 2020 budget — entry to the Philippines,” Panelo said.
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