Source: Agence France-Presse
TAIPEI – The Philippines has apologized after a row over deporting 14 Taiwanese to China and launched an investigation into this incident, Taiwan's foreign ministry said Saturday.
"I apologize for this unfortunate incident," Amadeo R. Perez, chairman of Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco), was quoted as saying in a ministry statement after meeting Foreign Minister Timothy Yang in Taipei on Friday.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has ordered an investigation into the incident and has named former senator Manuel Araneta Roxas II as a special envoy to Taiwan to patch-up ties, the statement said.
Like most countries, the Philippines formally recognizes only the Beijing government, while the Meco handles economic and cultural ties with Taiwan.
China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, although Beijing views the island as a breakaway province and vows to take it back, by force if necessary.
The Taiwanese were arrested and deported along with 10 Chinese suspects earlier this month after they allegedly swindled $20 million in an international scam targeting mainland Chinese.
Taiwan expressed fury, insisting that they should have been sent back to face justice on the island instead and warned Manila that the incident has dealt a serious blow to bilateral ties.
Taipei has raised the screening period for Filipino workers to the maximum four months and threatened to bar them from entry after the row.
There are about 72,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan, sending hundreds of millions of dollars a year back to the Philippines.
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TAIPEI – The Philippines has apologized after a row over deporting 14 Taiwanese to China and launched an investigation into this incident, Taiwan's foreign ministry said Saturday.
"I apologize for this unfortunate incident," Amadeo R. Perez, chairman of Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco), was quoted as saying in a ministry statement after meeting Foreign Minister Timothy Yang in Taipei on Friday.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has ordered an investigation into the incident and has named former senator Manuel Araneta Roxas II as a special envoy to Taiwan to patch-up ties, the statement said.
Like most countries, the Philippines formally recognizes only the Beijing government, while the Meco handles economic and cultural ties with Taiwan.
China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, although Beijing views the island as a breakaway province and vows to take it back, by force if necessary.
The Taiwanese were arrested and deported along with 10 Chinese suspects earlier this month after they allegedly swindled $20 million in an international scam targeting mainland Chinese.
Taiwan expressed fury, insisting that they should have been sent back to face justice on the island instead and warned Manila that the incident has dealt a serious blow to bilateral ties.
Taipei has raised the screening period for Filipino workers to the maximum four months and threatened to bar them from entry after the row.
There are about 72,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan, sending hundreds of millions of dollars a year back to the Philippines.
