Taiwan – Page 2 – ellen tordesillas

Take Taiwan for what it is

Published by Ellen on June 8, 2013

By Lauro Baja Jr., VERA Files

It is difficult to develop a pattern of action for the incident in Balintang Chanel which happened a month ago. We know what Taiwan wants but we are still at sea on how we have responded and/ or how we will further respond.

Taiwan is a province (read: surrogate) of China. It is also an ally (read: vassal) of the United Sates and has the support of the powerful China lobby in Washington. The media carry reports of statements of US House members supporting Taiwan.

The Philippines has substantial trade and investment relations with the “system” and thousands of Filipinos work in the island. This arrangement redounds to the mutual benefits of both and is governed by our so-called One-China policy.

Domingo Lee would make good as Pnoy’s emissary to Taiwan

Published by Ellen on June 2, 2013

There’s one man that would be perfect to be President Aquino’s personal emissary to Taiwan to help smoothen relations strained by the killing by the members of the Philippine Coast Guard of a Taiwanese fisherman almost a month ago: Domingo Lee.

Domingo Lee, to those who have forgotten who he is, was Aquino’s choice as ambassador to China after Gloria Arroyo’s appointed ambassador who was extended by Aquino, Francisco Benedicto, was recalled.

Lee’s primary qualification for one of the most important diplomatic positions was, he was a family friend of the Aquinos. Despite his embarrassing interviews with the Commission on Appointment, Aquino was determined to send him to Beijing.
Until the Scarborough (also known as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag) standoff happened in April 2012. Lee, himself, asked Aquino that his appointment be recalled.

Ramos urges neutral probe of Taiwan incident, reminds Pinoys of Contemplacion case

Published by Ellen on May 22, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas,VERA Files

FVR, giving advice as his patriotic duty

MAKASSAR, Indonesia—Former President Fidel V. Ramos has recommended the creation of a neutral investigation on the May 9 encounter between a Philippine patrol ship and Taiwanese fishing vessel in the disputed maritime boundary that resulted in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman and sparked violent protests in Taiwan against the Philippines.

Ramos also stressed that almost two weeks after the incident, the results of the Philippine investigation “should already have come out by this time.”

Speaking to Filipino journalists on the sidelines of the Second General Assembly of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI), Ramos drew from lessons in the 1995 Flor Contemplacion crisis and recommended that a “neutral country or group do a second investigation” in case Taiwan rejects the results of an investigation by the Philippine authorities even if he said it’s “a very valid honest, according to law, upright, and credible investigation.”

Filipino workers paying the price for Malacanang’s bungling

Published by Ellen on May 16, 2013

Filipino workers in Taipei. Photo from Want China Times.

It took a week for President Aquino to realize that the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by a member of the Philippine Coast Guard team in the disputed waters of South China Sea could lead to serious repercussions for the country

Last Wednesday, President Aquino sent as his personal representative Amadeo R. Perez, chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office “to convey his and the Filipino people’s deep regret and apology to the family of Mr. Hung Shi-chen as well as to the people of Taiwan over the unfortunate and unintended loss of life.”

Taiwan Foreign Minister David Lin refused to meet Perez, who was just received by Foreign Affairs Director-General Benjamin Ho.

Lessons Learned from the Taiwan Shooting Incident

Published by Ellen on May 16, 2013

By Harry L. Roque, Jr.

Chair, Center for International Law

The recent shooting by the Philippine Coast guard of a lone Taiwanese fisherman illustrates the kind of governmental response that we Filipinos deserve when we ourselves fall victims to an internationally wrongful act. Under international law, there is state responsibility for an internationally wrongful act where there is a breach of international law and when the breach is attributable to the state. Here, it appears that because the killing was because of a shot fired by a state organ, a member of the Philippine Coast Guard, that the killing may be attributed to the Philippines government. Acts of state organs, no matter how lowly their ranks, and even if they are ultra vires, are always attributed to a state.

Furthermore, there too appears to be a breach of international law since the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea prohibits the use of unnecessary use of force in dealing with illegal fishermen. In fact, the UNCLOS provides that fishermen caught illegally fishing in a states exclusive economic zone should not even be detained or charged criminally The only leeway granted to a party state is to apprehend the vessel which, in turn, must be immediately release upon posting of bond.

The lesson learned is how our own government should espouse the claim of its national, even if there is only one solitary victim. Not only did the highest echelon of the Taiwanese government demand for an apology, it also demanded compensation and even threatened the Philippines with both military and economic reprisals, even if both are prohibited by international law. This is in stark contrast with the current practice of the Philippine government. Only recently, 200 of our nationals became sitting ducks to Malaysia’s illegal resort to excessive force. Our response was to threaten our nationals with domestic prosecution.

PH envoy says apology is to family of fisherman,not to Taiwan government

Published by Ellen on May 12, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas. VERA Files

By Ellen Tordesillas,VERA Files

Philippine Representative in Taiwan Antonio Basilio said Sunday his apology to the family of the fisherman who was killed Thursday by a member of the Philippine Coast Guard in an incident in the disputed waters off Northern Philippines is not the government’s formal apology being demanded by Taiwan.

In an interview, Basilio, resident Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, said together with Taiwan’s Foreign Minister David Lin, he visited Saturday the family of Hung Shih-cheng, the 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman who was killed after a Coast Guard personnel fired upon the fishing boat Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28 in waters both claimed by the Philippines and Taiwan as part of their 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones.

Asked if his apology can be considered the Aquino government’s apology to Taiwan, Basilio replied, “The apology was to the family. It’s different from the Philippine government apology to the Taiwan government. “

Taiwan issues 72-hour ultimatum over fisherman’s death

Published by Ellen on May 12, 2013

72 HOURS:The government will freeze Filipino workers’ applications and recall its envoy if Manila fails to respond to Taiwan’s demand for a formal apology and arrest of the suspect in a fisherman’s death

By Mo Yan-chih / Staff reporter
Taipei Times

The administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday gave the Philippines 72 hours to arrest those responsible for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman, issue a formal apology and compensate the victim’s family.

If Manila failed to respond to these demands within 72 hours, the government will freeze Philippine worker applications, recall the Republic of China (ROC) representative in Manila and ask the Philippine representative to return to Manila to help in the investigation, Presidential Office spokesperson Lee Chia-fei (李佳霏) told a news conference last night following a national security meeting presided over by Ma.

The 72-hour deadline started from “12am on May 12,” Lee said.

Tag: Taiwan