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Palace respects Taiwan’s decision not to deport Filipino caregiver who criticized Duterte
By VIRGIL LOPEZ, GMA NewsMalacañang said Wednesday it respects Taiwan’s decision not to deport a Filipina caregiver in order to face possible criminal prosecution in the Philippines for criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly said on Tuesday that the Filipina, identified by the Philippines’ labor department as Elanel Egot Ordidor, enjoys freedom of speech just like other foreign workers in the island.
The ministry also said no person or institution has the right to pressure Ordidor and her employer nor should she be deported without consultations held between Manila and Taipei, according to reports by Taiwanese media outlets.
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“We respect that decision and, of course, in the same way that we will enforce our law on all foreigners while they are under our jurisdiction,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview on ANC.
“We leave the Filipino caregiver to the jurisdiction of Taiwanese authorities because deportation is really a decision to be made by Taiwanese authorities, which forms part of China,” he added.
Like most countries, the Philippines recognizes the government in Beijing, which regards self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province.
It was Labor Attaché Fidel Macauyag who pushed for the deportation of Ordidor, citing her “nasty and malevolent materials” against the President on Facebook “intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Malacañang earlier denied asking the Taiwanese government to deport Ordidor.—AOL, GMA News