PHL official says sorry for deporting 14 Taiwanese

Amadeo Perez, chairman of Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei, said he was sorry for the deportation of 14 Taiwanese to mainland China and that President Benigno Aquino III would soon dispatch a special envoy to thresh things out, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said over the weekend. The deportation on Feb. 2 prompted Taipei to tighten the procedure for overseas Filipino workers applying for jobs in Taiwan. "I apologize for this unfortunate incident," an article posted on the MOFA website quoted Perez as saying during a meeting with Taiwan Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang over the matter. President Aquino assigned a "political heavyweight," former senator and defeated vice presidential bet Manuel Roxas II, as his special envoy, according to the article. Philippine officials estimate 60,000 to 80,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan may also be affected by the situation. The article said Yang, during the meeting with Perez, questioned the deportation of the 14 Taiwanese to Mainland China, saying it showed "disrespect." "You have to take Taiwan seriously and positively," Yang supposedly told Perez when they met, according to the article. While the Philippines observes the one-China policy by maintaining diplomatic ties with Beijing, it is also nurturing economic ties with Taipei. — VS, GMA News