Noy calls for calm in dealing with Taiwan issue

MANILA, Philippines - To avoid unwanted repercussions, President Aquino yesterday appealed for calm in settling the issue with Taiwan over the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s alleged shooting at Taiwanese fishermen.

In an ambush interview with reporters after casting his vote in Tarlac City, the President said he was discussing the issue with officials as the PCG personnel involved in the incident had been relieved and placed under investigation.

“There was a death. There will be a review on whether all the processes (in dealing with poachers) are correct,” Aquino said.

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was in touch with concerned authorities to ensure that the incident will not have unwanted repercussions.

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou warned they would consider sanctions against the Philippines, including a freeze on the hiring of Filipino workers and recall of their representative in the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in a high seas scrum.

Taipei wants the Philippines to apologize and compensate the family of the Taiwanese fisherman killed when the PCG officers fired at the fishing boat’s machinery after it rammed the PCG-manned vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

But the President said Philippine officials were not getting those kinds of reports from the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO).

“If we comment on that level, we can guarantee that the issue will escalate. So I think it is in the interest of both parties to proceed on a calm basis. So we are proceeding in that manner,” Aquino said.

He also said the situation was being monitored by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario but the lead agency must be MECO because of the one-China policy.

Earlier, the Philippine government, through its MECO resident representative in Taipei Antonio Basilio, issued an apology and extended its condolences to the family of the Taiwanese fisherman killed last Thursday.

Basilio visited the family of the victim and extended condolences and offered his apologies, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“We extend our sincere and deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family of the victim,” Valte added.

She also said government authorities would ensure that such kind of incident would no longer happen in the future.

Dispute could affect hiring of OFWs

Meanwhile, local recruitment agencies yesterday expressed fear that the brewing dispute between the Philippines and Taiwan over the death of a Taiwanese fisherman could lead to the decline in hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (PILMAT) said the Philippine government must take measures to prevent Taiwan from enforcing a hiring freeze.

“We hope that freezing of hiring of our workers would not be resorted to, because both sides need each other,” PILMAT president Angelo Tong said, noting that there are 120,000 OFWs in Taiwan, mostly electronic factory workers and care givers.

“We sincerely hope that this incident will not affect the friendly cultural and economic relationship between Taiwan and our country,” he added.

Tong also called for sobriety and diplomacy in resolving the row, adding that Taiwanese and Philippine authorities should adopt measures to prevent similar cases in the future. – With Mayen Jaymalin