HONG KONG - announced Wednesday it was imposing sanctions on the Philippines because of its “unacceptable” failure to apologize for a deadly hostage crisis more than three years ago. The current visa-free arrangement for visiting Philippine diplomats and officials will be suspended from February 5, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying said in a press conference. Currently they are able to stay 14 days without a visa. Officials at Malacayang Palace said the Department of Foreign Affairs would issue a statement, but DFA Spokesman Raul Hernandez said the office would do so on Thursday.

World leaders have expressed their support to the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the signing of a peace deal that hopefully would end decades-long violence in the southern part of the country. The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs describes the signing of normalization annex, the fourth and last of the Framework Agreement of the Bangsamoro, as a “momentous milestone towards a long-lasting peace.”