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Coronavirus Philippines
This Week in AsiaHealth & Environment

Duterte says Philippines will not deport Chinese nationals amid coronavirus outbreak

  • While Manila has imposed restrictions on travel from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, the president dismissed further action as ‘xenophobia’
  • He also pledged solidarity with Beijing as it looks to curb the spread of the virus, saying ‘China has been kind to us’

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A man wearing a protective mask in Manila’s Chinatown reads a Chinese-language newspaper that says “Philippines bans travellers from China, Hong Kong and Macau”. Photo: AP
Alan Robles
President Rodrigo Duterte has shot down suggestions to deport Chinese nationals from the Philippines or specifically bar them from entering the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, dismissing such restrictions as “xenophobia”.

Wearing a portable air purifier around his neck, the president on Monday sought to play down local fears and pledged solidarity with Beijing as it works to contain the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 20,000 people around the world, killing over 420.

“Everything is well in the [Philippines], there is really nothing to be scared of that coronavirus thing,” he told reporters. “Although it has affected a lot of countries, one or two in any country is not really that fearsome.” He did not indicate whether he meant cases or deaths.

The Philippines became the first country outside China to report a fatality from the novel coronavirus when a 44-year old Chinese man died in a government hospital in Manila on February 1.

Following the death, authorities announced that all non-Filipino travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau would not be allowed into the Philippines, while citizens would be barred from leaving for those destinations.

The Philippines’ health department on Tuesday said it had a total of 103 patients under investigation apart from the two confirmed cases. Of the 103, 12 have been discharged after testing negative for the virus, but will continue to be monitored.

In a senate hearing the same day, health secretary Francisco Duque III said the two confirmed cases – one of whom was the Chinese man who died – flew into the Philippines from Wuhan two weeks ago. Authorities have only been able to reach 58 of the plane’s 331 passengers who may have had contact with the couple.

Duterte went out of his way at Monday’s press conference to be solicitous when it came to China.

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