Taiwan nixes PH bid to deport OFW over ‘nasty’ anti-Duterte remarks

MANILA, Philippines — Taiwan has rejected the move of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to have a Filipina caregiver deported over her “nasty” Facebook posts against President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement quoted in a report of a Taiwan online news outlet, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that the rights and interests of their citizens, as well as foreign workers, are protected under their laws.

“Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country where foreign workers enjoy ‘citizen treatment,’ and their rights and interests are protected by relevant laws and regulations, including freedom of speech, which should be respected by governments of all countries,” MOFA was quoted as saying in a statement.

Over the weekend, Philippine Labor Attaché in Taiwan Fidel Macauyag released a statement accusing Elanel Egot Ordidor of cyber libel, saying that her posts against the Duterte “intended to cause hatred” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philippine authorities then sought the deportation of Oridor.

According to POLO, its officers went to Ordidor’s workplace on April 20 to “enlighten” her and tell her that such actions “amounted to a crime for which she might be prosecuted both in Taiwan and the Philippines.”

POLO said the caregiver committed to deleting all her uploaded videos against Duterte and supposedly even promised to upload a public apology to the President and the government.

However, she allegedly continued to share posts “to discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government” through several social media accounts.

POLO in Taiwan said it coordinated with Ordidor’s broker and employer to secure her deportation for allegedly violating the Philippines’ cybercrime laws.

READ: Bello to leave deportation of Taiwan OFW to judgment of PH labor attaché 

But Taiwan’s MOFA pointed out that “no person or institution, in this case, has the right to pressure her, her employer, or broker, nor shall she be deported without consultations held between both governments.”

Earlier, OFW welfare group Migrante International slammed POLO’s move against Ordidor, branding it as “harassment” and a “violation of her democratic right to freedom of expression.”

KGA