What does ‘persona non grata’ truly mean in the Philippines?

A persona non grata means an unwelcome person

Ferdinand Dela Merced, or the Philippine Looper—an explorer who attempts to visit all of the Philippines’ 82 provinces by foot for a potential Guinness World Record—has been declared a persona non grata in Negros Oriental.

Dela Merced made a controversial remark about the local government’s reception to his mission. At the time, authorities were busy with their disaster response for the then-upcoming Typhoon Tino. He has since apologized but was still criticized and eventually named a persona non grata in the municipality.

Over time, personalities like Rosmar Tan, Rendon Labador, Pura Luka Vega, Leah Navarro, and Ramon Bautista have suffered the same fate. But what does this designation truly mean?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “persona non grata” as “a person who is unacceptable or unwelcome.” It originated from New Latin, with its first known use in 1877.

In its Legal Opinion No. 30 dated Feb. 7, 2020, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) notes that the practice is enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, in which a diplomat is no longer welcome to the government to which he’s accredited and is barred from remaining in the country.

But in the Philippine context, it’s much different. The DILG notes that there are two ways of emulating the practice: through an ordinance or through a resolution. To date, there’s no ordinance yet declaring anyone a persona non grata, while many resolutions seeking to declare personae non gratae have been passed.

The DILG points out that an ordinance is a law that requires a third reading for its passage, while a resolution is “merely a declaration of the sentiment or opinion of a lawmaking body on a specific matter.”

In a nutshell: A person being declared a persona non grata only means he’s no longer welcome in a particular place, according to the opinion of certain people. It, however, doesn’t mean that he cannot go there anymore.

As the DILG reminds everyone, one must act within the bounds of the law, and bodies that make persona non grata declarations must take note.

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