Latest Update on Incident Involving the Family of Gretchen Ho in Norway
GRETCHEN HO — The TV5 host shared an important update regarding the discrimination incident her family member experienced at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport in Norway, where they were denied a money exchange service simply because they were from the Philippines.
Gretchen said she has already spoken with the Philippine Ambassador to Norway, who personally called her after she submitted an official incident report. According to the Ambassador, he was surprised to learn about the case, saying that such incidents should not be happening. He also promised to raise the issue with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify the situation.
Gretchen explained that the Philippines was removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” in February 2025, after almost four years of being under increased monitoring due to concerns about money laundering and terrorism financing. Being taken off the list was seen as a positive development, allowing for faster and more transparent international financial transactions. Because of this, Gretchen questioned why her relative still faced such treatment.
She said she wanted clarity—whether this was due to a new policy, outdated information, or simply a misunderstanding by the airport staff. Gretchen also mentioned that several other Filipinos have reported similar experiences at the same airport, being denied money exchange services once their nationality was known. “So are we back on the “high-risk” list for money laundering?” she asked. “Or is this an overeager clerk who was simply not updated on the grey list?”
For context, the FATF is an international organization created by the G7 nations to set global standards for combating money laundering and terrorism financing. It maintains two lists—grey for countries under monitoring and black for those subject to strict countermeasures. Norway, as part of the European Economic Area, follows the FATF’s global standards.