- AFP
- October 08, 2011
THE US ambassador to the Philippines has apologised for his
controversial remark that 40 per cent of male tourists visit the country
for sex, the foreign department says.
Harry Thomas sent the apology through a mobile phone text message
to Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, 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 per cent 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 per cent statistic without the ability to back it up," the spokesman quoted Thomas as saying in his text message.
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.
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