Philippine officials have advised thousands of Filipino workers to “limit their movement” in Taiwan, fearing a potentially violent backlash over the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago warned on Sunday that injuries sustained by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Taiwanese attackers could be considered “an act of aggression” that could serve as basis for the fold-up of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei.
Hotels and resorts on Boracay Island have been reeling from the cancellation of bookings of Taiwanese tourists amid the diplomatic row following the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards, according to travel operators.
The Philippines is waiting for tempers in Taiwan to cool before settling the dispute over a shot Taiwanese fisherman, the head of an office in charge of relations said Sunday.
Malacañang on Saturday rejected Taiwan’s allegations that Filipino coast guards had intentionally killed a Taiwanese fisherman in waters off Balintang Island in northern Philippines last week, triggering a major diplomatic row between the two countries.
“Filipino migrants are innocent; they should be protected,” the Hong Kong-based International Migrants Alliance said Saturday amid reports of continuing discrimination against and physical attacks on Filipino workers in Taiwan.
The escalating row between Taiwan and Philippines and Taipei has started to spill over into the country’s tourism sector, with some airline and hotel operators starting to express concern and others already feeling the pinch in the wake of the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman in Philippine waters.
The alternative labor markets being eyed by the Philippine government for Filipino who may be affected by the brewing tension between Taiwan and the Philippines are not feasible, a recruitment industry expert said Saturday.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima neither denied nor confirmed statements made Saturday by the Taiwanese government’s investigation team regarding the Balintang Channel shooting incident in which a Taiwanese fisherman was killed.
The Philippines Saturday rejected Taiwan’s allegations that its coast guards had intentionally murdered a Taiwanese fisherman whose death has triggered a major diplomatic spat.
The Philippines’ de facto ambassador to Taiwan has advised thousands of Filipino workers there to eat at home and avoid the streets while emotions run high on the island over the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards last week.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is not keen on a joint investigation between the Philippines and Taiwan in connection with the shooting incident that led to the death of a Taiwanese fisherman at the Bashi Strait in northern Philippines.
