Malacanang justified on Monday the decision of the Bureau of Immigration to deny entry and deport an official from the European Union critical of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque explained that under the international law, a sovereign country could decide who to accept or not.

"It is always a sovereign decision whom they wish to allow into their territory. So we are not obliged to allow anyone into our territory if we do not want them in our territory," he said.

"Unfortunately, the socialist leader was one of those that we determine as a person that we don’t want to be in our territory. There is no rule under international law that will compel us to admit anyone whom we do not want to admit in our territory. That’s the exercise of sovereignty," Roque added.

Immigration authorities barred Giacomo Filibeck, deputy secretary-general of the Party of European Socialists, from entering the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Sunday allegedly for illegal activity.

Akbayan, which invited Filibeck in the two-day Congress, condemned the Immigration's action. It is a sister party of PES. Celerina Monte/DMS