Following a formal statement from Taiwan asking Manila to abide by the 1996 aviation agreement between the two countries, a Philippine official said yesterday it is Taipei who needs to give assurances in order to re-start negotiations.
"I'm not adverse to making a written statement [confirming Manila's recognition of the 1996 aviation agreement]," the Philippines assistant foreign secretary Franklin Ebdalin told the Taipei Times.
But he said it is up to Taipei to show its sincerity in hammering out a new agreement.
"What kind of assurances do we have [Taiwan] will not stall the negotiation if we issue this kind of statement? [Re-negotiation of seat capacity] is a matter of survival for us." he said.
In what appears to be an about-face, Ebdalin said during a public hearing in Taipei last week that the 1996 aviation agreement had never been terminated.
However, a Sept. 20 resolution issued by Manila's Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) formally withdrew recognition of the agreement.
In response to the annulment of the agreement, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Manila sent a letter to its Philippine counterpart earlier this week urging its government to honor the 1996 agreement.
"Your government's abrogation of the agreement has disrupted the mutual trust established through close cooperation between our two sides over the past few years," the letter states.
The letter says that "it was astounding to us that the Philippine CAB abruptly abrogated the said agreement without twelve-months prior written notice of termination as stipulated in Article XIII of the agreement, totally disregarding the international protocol as well as the mutual and comprehensive benefits between our two countries.
"Now, unless we can rest assured that your government has the sincerity to honor the agreement, any further consultation and any arrangement reached will become futile," it adds.
The 1996 agreement sets the passenger limit on direct flights between Taipei-Manila at 9,600 per week, but the Philippines has insisted the number be reduced to 3,000 passengers per week.
Taiwan suspended direct flights to the Philippines earlier this month after Manila refused to budge on the 3,000 limit.
Manila has been pushing to re-start talks since.
Ebdalin said earlier this week that Manila is ready to strike a compromise with Taipei, after rejecting Taiwan's offer of 6,500 seats per week.
"We were made to understand that they would not be sticking anymore to the 6,500 [passenger quota] and we told them we will not stick to our 3,000," he said on Manila's SNN television network on Tuesday.
Ebdalin said as of now, no timetable has been set for the re-start of talks.
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