Thai faces deportation charge over racial slur vs Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines –  Thai national Prasertsri Kosin, who goes by the name “Koko Narak” on social media, was detained by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Taguig. He faces a deportation charge stemming from racially offensive remarks that he posted on Facebook.

“The [BI] Board of Commissioners will still decide on his request for voluntary deportation,” BI Spokersperson Elain Tan told Rappler in a text message on Wednesday, May 6, adding that Kosin will remain detained pending the Board’s decision.

The deportation charge for undesirability against Kosin is based on his “contemptuous act and maligning remarks against Filipinos.”

Kosin had called Filipinos “slave,” “low class,” “Pignoy,” and “wriggling like cockroaches.”

“If I were Hitler, I would kill all Filipinos on this earth. Since it is a useless race on this world,” he posted.

“It is useless people on earth and waste the natural resources,” he added.

In the deportation charge sheet, the BI said such remarks “constitutes undesirability and his presence poses a risk to public interest.” 

His former employer, Taguig-based business process outsourcing company Cognizant Philippines, already fired him over the slur.

Facing possible deportation and permanent blacklisting, Kosin has since apologized and hoped he could “come back again” to the Philippines.

“Based on our records, Kosin is working under a special non-immigrant visa based on Section 47(a)(2) of the Philippine Immigration Act. The visa will be eventually cancelled should he be determined to be undesirable,” Tan had explained.

Kosin’s request for a voluntary deportation would expedite the proceedings on the undesirability charge against him, which could take as long as 2 to 6 months. – Rappler.com