Senior Philippine official's body returned to Manila

The body of Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Fajaredo Ople was returned to Manila on Sunday night from Taipei where he had been pronounced dead after doctors had tried in vain to save him with emergency treatment.

Escorted his wife, daughter and a number of Philippine officials, Ople's body was transported from Taipei to Manila by a Philippine Airlines aircraft. The aircraft arrived at Manila Airport at 8:50pm.

On hand to meet the party at the airport were members of the diplomatic corps in Manila, senior officials from the Philippine Presidential Office, senior officials from the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department and Taiwan's officials posted in Manila.

Ople, 75, died of an apparent heart attack on a Japan Asia Airways flight from Tokyo en route to Bahrain late Saturday night.

Ople a fit of dry coughing followed by breathing difficulties. The flight crew attempted to resuscitate Ople while the plane altered course, making an emergency landing at CKS Airport.

Doctors the airport then rushed Ople to Minsheng Hospital in Taoyuan after applying emergency treatment, despite the Philippine minister showing no signs of life. Hospital staff pronounced Ople dead on arrival at around 11pm on Saturday.

The Philippine minister's destination was to have been Manama, Bahrain, as part of an advance team ahead of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's official visit.

On behalf of Taiwan's government, Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興), Taiwan's representative in Manila, expressed condolences to Ople's family and said the government had done everything it could.