US sorry for Philippino sex tourism remark
‘Forty percent of male tourists visit the country for
sex’ :
Philippines: The US ambassador to the Philippines has apologised for
his controversial remark that 40 percent of male tourists visit the
country for sex, the foreign department said Saturday.
Harry Thomas sent the apology through a cell phone text message to
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario on Friday, a spokesman
said.
In a statement, the US embassy confirmed that Thomas had expressed
“deep regret” for his remark. Last month, Thomas sparked a furore when
he said: “Forty percent of foreign men who come to the Philippines,
including from the US, come for sex tourism.”
Government officials quickly disputed the claim, complaining that the
envoy’s remark had hurt the Philippines’ image.
“I am sending you a response expressing regret for my comments. I
should not have used the 40 percent statistic without the ability to
back it up,” the spokesman quoted Thomas as saying in his text message.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman, Edwin Lacierda said
that the ambassador’s apology should settle the issue. “We consider the
issue a closed case but our fight against (human traffickers) continues.
We will continue to prosecute those who are taking advantage of our
people,” Lacierda told reporters.
The ambassador’s claim about sex tourists came amid Philippine
government attempts to revitalise the country’s tourism industry, which
for years has lagged behind other Asian countries.
The Philippines recorded an all-time high of 3.52 million visitors
last year and the government is aiming for tourist arrivals of six
million by 2016.
Manila, Sunday, AFP |