Philippines removes Hong Kong journalists from black list

The Philippine government said Tuesday that it has delisted nine Hong Kong journalists blacklisted last year for disrespect of the Philippine president.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said the Bureau of Immigration has removed the nine from its black list on the recommendation of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

Coloma said the decision was made based on the solution of a 2010 hostage-taking incident in Manila, and no repeat of disrespect shown to President Benigno Aquino at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this year.

The journalists were placed on a black list after they tried to interview Aquino on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Indonesia's Bali last year by shouting their questions at him while he was on the way to a business meeting.

The journalists were asking about the mishandling of the hostage-taking in 2010 when eight Hong Kong tourists died together with their captor, and if he was set to meet with the Hong Kong chief executive at the APEC meeting.

One of the grounds for denying a foreigner's entry is showing disrespect or making offensive utterances to symbols of Philippine authority.