Aquino: No need for apology to Taiwan

By Christine Avenda?hilippine Daily Inquirer, Agence France-Presse First Posted 12:29:00

02/23/2011

MANILA, Philippines— (UPDATE) President Benigno Aquino III insisted on Wednesday the government need not
apologize to Taiwan as he shrugged off the island nation's threat to freeze its hiring of Filipino workers, saying other
countries would employ Filipinos.

Speaking to reporters after attending a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the People Power Revolution at the
Rizal High School in Pasig City, the President said Mar Roxas, his private emissary to Taiwan, will give him a full
report later Wednesday on his discussions with Taiwanese officials regarding Manila's decision to deport Taiwanese
nationals to China, which angered Taipei officials.

"Parang hindi ganoon ka successful (It appears to be not that successful),'' was how the President described the
initial feedback he got from Roxas, who returned to the country the on Tuesday.

"They (Taiwanese officials) were asking for us to apologize and I don't believe that there is something we have to
apologize for given the circumstances,'' Aquino said.

"China came to us and told us of the existence of these syndicates preying on their citizens. We arrested (the
suspects), we gathered evidence. We were sending a message that the Philippines was not a safe haven for
criminals," Aquino added.

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou expressed his anger Tuesday in a meeting in Taipei with Roxas, according local
Taiwanese television footage of the meeting.

Labour Minister Wang Ju-hsuan later told reporters Taiwan was mulling a freeze on the hiring of Philippine workers
in retaliation, although a final decision had yet to be made.

Aquino said it was the prerogative of Taiwan to freeze its hiring of Filipinos even as he expressed certainty that this
rift will be resolved.

"I am sure there will be a resolution, perhaps not immediately, but there will be a resolution,'' Aquino said, adding
that the Manila Economic and Cultural Office will continue to "represent our interest'' in Taiwan.

"We understand where they are coming from and hopefully they understand also where we are coming from,'' he
said.

But should Taiwan make good on its threat to freeze the hiring of Filipino workers, Aquino said: "We can look for
other places for deployment. There are other territories for instance that have signified desire to hire OFWs. At the
same time if we can provide jobs here, why not?''
Manila's economic and cultural office in Taipei will pursue efforts to resolve the deportation row, he added.

China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, although Beijing claims the
island. The Philippines has formal ties with China only but maintains economic and cultural links with Taiwan.

Taipei has already raised the screening period for Philippine workers to a maximum of four months.

There are about 70,000 Philippine workers in Taiwan, sending home hundreds of millions of dollars a year.