The government agreed to ease its recently imposed restrictions on Filipinos seeking employment in Taiwan after the two nations agreed on a solution to resolve a diplomatic spat that stemmed from the deportation of 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects from the Philippines to China on Feb. 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) said yesterday.
“In response to the Philippine government’s goodwill ... the government of the Republic of China will adopt proper measures at an appropriate time,” a joint statement issued after a meeting between Yang and Philippine Senator Manuel Roxas said.
Roxas is an emissary appointed by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.
Taipei took a series of retaliatory measures to protest what it said was the Philippines’ disregard for Taiwan’s jurisdiction over its own nationals. Taipei also demanded that Manila formally apologize for the incident, but when Roxas first visited Taiwan last mont, he did not issue an apology, leaving the issue largely unresolved.
Yang said yesterday that Taipei felt that Manila had expressed a sincere apology after it replaced two officials at the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration who were involved in the handling of the case.
The personnel reshuffle within the bureau appeared to have been interpreted by Taipei as a form of apology, but Philippine presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda originally said the replacements were not related to the deportation case, before saying he would not argue with Taipei about its interpretation.
During his first visit to Taiwan late last month, Roxas repeatedly said the Philippines “deeply regretted” the incident, but fell short of issuing a full apology, saying he was not mandated to do so, despite strong pressure from Taipei.
Roxas, who met with Yang and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) during his second visit to attempt to settle the diplomatic row yesterday, still offered no apology.
“I am here ... as an emissary of President Aquino in order to heal the hurt felt by the people of Taiwan over the unfortunate recent incident,” Roxas said yesterday.
Manila media reports have quoted Philippine officials as saying that Roxas was invited by Taipei to return for the second visit, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Roxas expressed his desire to return to bring the spat to an end.
Roxas yesterday deflect the issue, saying: “It’s doesn’t matter who invited who or what agencies; or what organizations invited who.”
“What is important is that people of Taiwan and people of the Philippines have good long ties ... and we want to close whatever gap exists arising from this unfortunate recent incident. We work very hard to establish close working relationships ... so that misunderstandings and incidents of this type can be avoided in the future,” he said.
Asked if the removal of the two bureau officials was a goodwill gesture in response to complaints by Taipei, Manila Economic and Cultural Office Chairman Amadeo Perez Jr said the decision was based on an internal investigation requested by the Philippine Congress.
Meanwhile, judicial authorities denied reports that China had agreed to return the 14 fraud suspects to Taiwan later this month.
Reports yesterday said Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Lin Teh-hua (林德華) had led a five-person delegation to Beijing on Monday last week to negotiate the return of the suspects.
Lin, the reports said, had visited the suspects at a detention center in Beijing, adding that Chinese authorities had agreed to allow the suspects’ families to visit them at the detention center and to return six or seven later this month.
However, Lin said reports that some of the suspects would be returned to Taiwan were false.
“Negotiations are complicated and ongoing. No conclusion has been reached by either side,” Lin told a press conference.
Additional reporting by Rich Chang and CNA
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