Taiwan retaliation continues; OFW hiring suspended

MANILA, Philippines -  Taiwan has started hiring workers from Thailand and Indonesia to replace Filipinos in retaliation for the Philippine government’s deportation of 14 Taiwanese to China, a source said yesterday.

Taiwan is also considering stopping all investments in the Philippines, according to a very reliable source close to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Manila.

“How can the Philippine government ignore Taiwan which has 150 units of F-16, 60 Mirage jet fighters, tanks, latest weapon with a strong 600,000 well equipped armed forces and over $400 billion foreign reserves,” the source said.

He is a former officer of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the unofficial Philippine embassy in Taipei, and a close friend for 30 years of the vice president of Taiwan, the source added.

Taiwan has recalled its de facto envoy in Manila, Donald Lee, after the Philippine government allegedly ignored its request to deport to Taiwan 14 Taiwanese suspected of defrauding several Chinese of $20 million.

In a statement, MECO expressed regret over the Philippine government’s deportation of the 14 Taiwanese to China.

However, Administrator Carlos Pao of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said Taiwan has not implemented a ban on the hiring of Filipino workers.

“There is no ban,” he stressed.

“I think they are just going to screen more strictly the deployment papers of our OFWs .... From our end, we’ll continue to process (deployment papers).”

Pao is confident the conflict between the Philippines and Taiwan will be resolved.

“Some feathers were just ruffled,” he said. “I think things will (ease up soon).”

Palace: Taiwan can complain to DOJ

Taiwan can complain to the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the deportation of 14 Taiwanese to China, Malacañang said yesterday.

However, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Bureau of Immigration had already explained what had happened.

“We stand by the explanation that we have already given and as to the measures that Taiwan has taken.

“If they want to lodge a formal complaint it should be done with the DOJ.”

The matter is between Taiwan and China and should not involve the Philippines, Valte added.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the decision to deport the Taiwanese to China was based on the government’s one-China policy.

The government does not directly deal with Taiwan, especially on political matters, but only on trade and economics, they said.

The Taiwanese were arrested, along with 10 Chinese, in Makati last December upon the request of the Chinese government. – Rudy Santos, Sheila Crisostomo, Aurea Calica