Teco hopes for satisfactory results for PH, ROC

This letter is in response to the news article titled “Resolve tiff with Taiwan, gov’t urged” (News, Inquirer, 7/9/13).

We agree with Rep. Roy Señeres: “[T]he Philippine government must stop its foot-dragging and resolve the Taiwan dispute immediately, lest OFWs suffer more permanent consequences” and that the Philippine presidential office should make public the (Philippine) Department of Justice’s report on the shooting incident.” We are also in agreement with his insights that “the (Philippine) government is slow to act on this problem,” and that “the Aquino administration must also hasten the restoration of bilateral relations with Taiwan.”

For the benefit of the overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan, we would like to reiterate that they are well protected by the Republic of China (ROC), and that there have been no further reports of OFW mistreatment. The ROC government is determined to do its best to ensure the OFWs’ safety and welfare in Taiwan. As Representative Señeres has stated, “many OFWs wanted the administration to resolve the issue soon”; we thus hope that the Philippine government will expedite the resolution of the shooting incident so as to restore the bilateral

relations between the ROC and the Philippines.

Likewise, we urge the Philippine presidential office to reciprocally empathize with the victim’s family members who are pained by and suffering from the failure of the Philippine government to give them justice. An important step that the Philippine presidential office needs to take is to reveal the investigation report to the public in a timely fashion and to let the perpetrators face criminal and administrative charges. Most importantly, we call for justice to be carried out in a speedy and effective way. As the saying goes, “justice delayed is justice denied.”

Based on mutual respect and reciprocity, we continue to hope that the bilateral relationship between the ROC and the Philippines will be restored soon, and that our respective national interests will be better protected. The ball has been in the Philippines’ court for quite a long time now. Aside from hoping for the best, we have been waiting for an expeditious response. We hope that the outcome will be satisfactory for both countries.

—CHANG PONG,

press director,

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office

in the Philippines