Blacklisted for ‘unwanted activities’: Philippines deports Swiss woman

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Philippine immigration authorities have denied Filipino-Swiss activist Edna Becher entry into the country at the airport. Becher is the head of Anakbayan Switzerland. According to Wikipedia, Anakbayan is an international militant youth organization that advocates Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and national democracy.

Her organization said Becher traveled to the Philippines to spend the holidays with her family and communicate with her colleagues in the organization.

Dana Sandoval, immigration spokeswoman, told philstar.com: “The individual was excluded because he has been blacklisted in the Philippines since 2021. She was the subject of a government intelligence report on activities that could be considered undesirable.” She was not arrested, but “expelled.”

Edna Becher was instructed to take the next flight back to her country of origin. The spokeswoman did not provide any further information. There is a video on Facebook in which Becher calls for an armed revolution.

Protest against the government

Her colleagues write on X that Edna Becher has now safely returned to Switzerland. They protest against the deportation. “These actions violate Becher’s freedom of association and freedom of movement,” the report said. Anakbayan expressed concern that the blacklist sets a risky precedent and criminalizes dissent. “This is the first deportation of an activist under the fascist Marcos regime.”

Anakbayan repeatedly organizes protests in Switzerland against the Philippine government under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (66). He is the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos (1917-1989) and Imelda Marcos (94), who is best known for her immense shoe collection. (GF)

Source: Blick