Taiwan slams Roque for saying China will have a say on deportation of anti-Duterte OFW

Taiwan on Wednesday rejected the statement of Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that China should have a say on whether or not a Filipina caregiver critical of President Rodrigo Duterte should be deported.

"My country expresses strong dissatisfaction and high regret over Philippine government officials wrongly accusing Taiwan as part of China," an unofficial English translation of Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou's statement said.

Ou said Taipei has instructed Taiwan representatives in Manila to formally protest Roque's remarks.

In an interview with ANC, Roque said it is up to Taiwan and China to decide on the deportation of the Filipina caregiver since "Taiwan is part of China."

A Philippine Labor Attache earlier sought the deportation of Elanel Ordidor for criticizing Duterte's handling of the coronavirus crisis on social media. Taiwan said it will not deport the Filipina, saying foreign workers in Taiwan are entitled to freedom of speech.

"Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country and has never been a part of China. The People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan...and only the elected Taiwan government can represent the 23 million people of Taiwan internationally," Ou said.

A self-ruling democratic island, Taiwan separated from mainland China in 1949. However, Beijing still considers Taiwan as part of China.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed our representative office in the Philippines to immediately negotiate with the Philippines to express their protests. We solemnly call on the government officials of the Philippines to face up to the facts and stop misrepresenting Taiwan as a part of China," Ou said.

If the Philippine government would insist on the deportation of Ordidor, Ou said Manila should go through the legal process and submit a request through the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, which was signed between Taiwan and the Philippines in 2013.

The accord provides the basis of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

"We can negotiate with the Philippine government in accordance with relevant agreements," Ou said.

She stressed that foreign workers in Taiwan "are protected by relevant laws and regulations, including freedom of speech," adding they will not be deported if they did not violate Taiwanese laws and regulations.

With the robust economic and trade exchanges between the Philippines and Taiwan, Ou said both sides "should actively engage in dialogue and communication and improve friendly and cooperative relations."

Manila and Taipei have no formal diplomatic ties in deference to the One-China Policy. Taiwan is represented by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office, which acts as its de-facto embassy in the Philippines.

Taiwan hosts 115,000 Filipinos, mostly working in factories. —LDF, GMA News