Report: Roxas is PHL ‘envoy’ to Taiwan over deportation row

Former senator and defeated vice-presidential bet Manuel Roxas II will be the Philippines’ special envoy to Taiwan to defuse tension over the deportation of 14 Taiwanese last February, a Taiwanese news site reported. Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) said Roxas is expected to arrive in Taipei Monday (Feb. 21) to “explain and discuss" the matter. CNA quoted Amadeo Perez, chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), as confirming the appointment in a meeting with Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang. “President (Benigno) Aquino [III] has appointed his trusted former Senator Manuel Roxas as his special envoy, who is very popular among Taiwanese in the Philippines..., to iron out the relationship between the Philippines and Taiwan," the CNA quoted Perez as saying before his 90-minute closed-door meeting with Yang. According to Perez, Roxas’ delegation is scheduled to have a discussion with Yang and “hopefully" to meet with President Ma Ying-jeou. “On behalf of the MECO, I would like to express our regret to the Taiwanese people for this unfortunate incident," he said. Taiwan had expressed displeasure over the Philippines’ Feb. 2 deportation to Mainland China of 14 Taiwanese suspects in a fraud operation. It also tightened the process for screening applications by Filipino nationals seeking to work in Taiwan. Philippine officials estimate about 80,000 Filipino workers may be affected. While the Philippines observes the One-China Policy where it maintains diplomatic ties with Beijing, it also maintains economic ties with Taipei. Apology Asked if the Philippines will offer an official apology Taiwan has demanded, Perez said he did not know. Yang, who said a day earlier that Taiwan’s response “will be contingent on who the envoy is and what message he or she brings," said he was glad Aquino decided to send his trusted friend, whom he described recently as the “troubleshooter" of his administration. However, whether or not Roxas will meet President Ma will depend on what message he brings and will not be decided until after the meeting with Yang, the CNA report said. Taiwan maintains the Philippines should offer a formal apology because of its handling of the case was “flawed" and violated the legal process, Yang said. He added Manila wrongfully described the Taiwanese suspects as “undocumented" before sending them to China. Yang also said the Philippine authorities’ mention of the One-China policy and a mutual legal assistance agreement between Taiwan and China as reasons because the handling of the incident was “simply unacceptable." “By mentioning those things – the one-China policy and cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, the Philippines has unnecessarily touched upon a delicate area that should not be involved," he said. — LBG, GMA News