Needless provocation

Did Harry Roque really have to say that?

Instead of trying to mitigate the embarrassment caused by a Philippine labor official’s shameful move to deport a Filipino caregiver from Taiwan, the President’s newly reinstated spokesperson casually added more fuel to the fire by saying the Philippines would leave the matter to Taiwan — and China.

His exact words: “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. We leave that wholly to the decision of Taiwan and China. Taiwan is part of China.”

Not unexpectedly, no one was more crestfallen and outraged at Roque’s statement than Lito Banayo, chair of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office or Meco, the Philippines’ de facto embassy in Taipei. Banayo said a mouthful in lambasting the dangerous carelessness of Roque’s remarks: “It’s good that he has accepted the fact that deportation is the prerogative of the host country… but what official purpose does it serve to needlessly remark that Taiwan is part of China?” Banayo asked in an ANC interview. “Is the purpose to injure the sensitivity of a nation that treats almost 160,000 Filipino workers with fairness and equity? What then is the purpose of extending animosity with a political non-sequitur? We have a long history of friendship and Taiwan has always been ready to help the country in times of disasters and calamities. Why then must we provoke their anger and stoke their sensitivities?”

Banayo’s pained reaction was totally understandable. By this time, he had already sought to calm the controversy by apologizing to Taipei for the nasty move by Philippine labor attaché in Taichung Fidel Macauyag to seek the deportation of Elanel Ordidor, which was promptly rebuffed by Taiwan. Macauyag had tried to expel Ordidor for her alleged “willful posting of nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte’’ and his handling of the COVID-19 crisis, and also threatened to file cyberlibel charges against her. Macauyag even called on Ordidor’s broker and employer to force her deportation.

But Taiwan would have none of that. It said that foreign workers enjoy “citizen treatment’’ in the country, 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.’’

Not only that; Taiwan also extended police protection to Ordidor. According to an April 29 Focus Taiwan report, Labor Affairs Department director-general Chang Shih-chung of Yunlin County, where Ordidor is based, said “the county is asking the police to increase patrols where the woman lives after her online remarks drew some angry responses.”

In an appalling twist, fellow Filipinos were harassing and threatening an outspoken OFW, while a foreign country was doing all it could to ensure her safety and protect her freedoms. But that sordid irony was lost on Roque, whose pronouncement lumping Taiwan with China prompted the independent island nation to lodge a strong protest.

“My country expresses strong dissatisfaction and high regret over Philippine government officials wrongly accusing Taiwan as part of China,” Taiwan’s foreign affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou said in a statement. “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.”

Roque’s excuse was that, as a matter of policy, the Philippines adheres to a one-China policy. True, but in this case, the facts on the ground provide not the slightest basis for invoking that policy. If Roque truly believes China has a say in the Ordidor affair, then Malacañang should send Macauyag to Beijing, so he could plead with the mandarins of the Chinese Communist Party to have the Filipino caregiver deported from Taiwan. Let’s see if that absurd setup goes anywhere.

In fact, even as the Philippines swears fealty to the one-China policy (especially at this time with the Duterte administration’s ingratiating stance toward Beijing), it continues to maintain Meco — the de facto embassy in Taipei that’s under the Office of the President Roque speaks for— in tacit recognition of the economic and cultural ties between the two countries. But clearly, to score brownie points with the President, Macauyag had no compunction jeopardizing that delicate arrangement with his disgraceful conduct. Sen. Franklin Drilon is right; the man should be promptly recalled: “A mere labor attaché requesting a sovereign country to deport a foreign worker over a social media post is stupidity at the highest level. His mandate is to promote the welfare of our OFWs. He has shown the highest level of ignorance. Worse, his action embarrassed the Philippine government.’’