Despite attempts by Manila to re-start talks on reopening air routes between Taiwan and the Philip-pines, Taiwan officials appear hesitant to go back into negotiations.
The air links were suspended earlier this month.
"We have to first verify whether Manila is sincere in starting the talks," said Shih Ting, (石定), director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' East Asia and Pacific Affairs Department.
"We have not yet decided when to resume talks," Shih said.
Shih's comments directly contradicted those made yesterday by Philippine presidential spokes-man Jerry Barican, who said that representatives of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) were scheduled to meet yesterday to finalize a date for the resumption of negotiations.
"In the meantime, the Philippines and Taiwan are exploring the possibility of immediately resuming flights between the two parties pending the finalization of the agreement," Barican said.
Direct air links between Taiwan and the Philippines were suspended after Taipei rejected Manila's demand for China Airlines and EVA Airways to reduce their combined passenger capacity to 3000 per week, down from the 9,600 stipulated in the previous 1996 agreement.
"I have an impression that talks will be scheduled as soon as possible, possibly within this week," Franklin Ebdalin, the Philippines' assistant foreign secretary for legal affairs told the Taipei Times.
"I was informed by Eva Estrada Kalaw (a MECO representative) that she will contact the TECO office this morning," he said.
Both Kalaw and her Taiwanese counterpart, Chan Hsien-ching (
In what appears to be a total about-face for the Philippines, Ebdalin hinted Manila is willing to retract its unilateral decision to reduce its passenger quota for Taiwan carriers to 3,000 per week.
"There is a common understanding that we will not stick to our original position," said Ebda-lin, also a member of Manila's Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
Two months of negotiations ground to a halt late last month after the Philippines refused to budge on its offer of 3,000 passengers per week.
Chang Kuo-cheng (
"A few month ago, Manila offered 4,000 seats, but later that became 3,000 seats. They said because this [1996 agreement] is a `private agreement,' they can terminate it any time they want," said Chang.
"Manila also unilaterally imposed the 3,000 seats-per-week quota and threatened to terminate air links if we did not agree. Is this the way negotiations are conducted?" he asked.
In another apparent about-face, Ebdalin said during the public hearing that the 1996 aviation agreement with Taiwan "has never been terminated." He claimed only the "rights" extended under the agreement were terminated and not the agreement itself.
However, the CAB had previously issued a press statement saying it was canceling the 1996 air agreement unless Taiwan accepted the weekly quota of 3,000 seats per week.
Ebdalin also offended Taiwan officials when he previously said that Manila had no obligation to uphold the 1996 aviation agreement, since it was not one made between two sovereign states.
He later said he was expressing a personal opinion.
Newspaper editorials in Manila have recently slammed Philippine president Joseph Estrada for what they claim is his sacrifice of public interests to protect PAL.
Filipino tour operators have protested against its government's decision to reduce the passenger quota, citing a possible US$146 million-per-year loss in revenue.
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