The Philippine government yesterday decided to remove Taiwan from a temporary travel ban, its second reversal this month amid an outbreak of COVID-19 in China and the shadow of Beijing’s influence.
“The [Philippine presidential] palace confirms that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease has resolved to lift the travel restrictions imposed upon Taiwan, effective immediately,” Philippine presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement relayed by the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei.
The decision has been agreed “by reason of the strict measures they [Taiwanese officials] are undertaking, as well as the protocols they are implementing to address the COVID-19 [outbreak],” he said after a Philippine Cabinet meeting yesterday afternoon.
Photo: CNA
The task force would also evaluate lifting the travel ban on Macau, he said, adding that any resolution of travel restrictions in connection with COVID-19 would be regularly reviewed.
Manila on Monday added Taiwan to the travel ban, which originally only targeted travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau when it was announced on Feb. 2, citing its “one China” policy.
While diplomatic negotiations were ongoing, Taipei on Wednesday vowed to implement seven to eight countermeasures if the ban was not lifted, while Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers called for the cancelation of a visa-waiver program or prohibiting the entry of Philippine migrant workers.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday reportedly refused to change the policy and was quoted by Panelo as saying that his primary concern is “the health and safety of our countrymen.”
Just like terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US, the Philippine government’s travel ban being extended to Taiwan was a policy decision that was not necessarily correct, while the China lobby has become a very powerful force under the Duterte administration, Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson was quoted as saying by GMA News.
Earlier yesterday, before Manila reversed its decision and in response to requests for comment, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that Taiwan is willing to help Manila contain the disease, but added that Taipei would not condone the ban if it was based on political considerations and would implement corresponding measures.
Photo copied by Hung Chen-hung, Taipei Times
Later yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed Manila’s decision, thanking those who had contributed to the positive development.
Taiwan has kept COVID-19 infections well under control, with its disease-control measures and transparency praised by the global community, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement.
The ministry reiterated its call to the WHO for public health prevention to be separated from politics, with Ou saying that the global body should correct its improper listing of Taiwan as a part of China in its situation reports, which has led many countries to issue travel bans on Taiwanese.
While many countries have lifted their travel bans on Taiwanese, the ministry is still negotiating with Italy, Bangladesh and Mongolia about correcting their bans.
As of December last year, there were 157,487 Philippine migrant workers in Taiwan, more than 20 percent of the nation’s foreign workforce, Ministry of Labor data showed.
From January to November last year, 455,776 Philippine tourists visited Taiwan, up from 419,105 in 2018, Tourism Bureau data showed.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
RSS