Publication Date : 15-05-2013
Just hours before the midnight deadline, Premier Jiang Yi-huah yesterday said that Taiwan is ready to introduce economic sanctions against the Philippines if it does not respond to demands regarding last week's shooting of a fisherman.
Freezing all new Philippine labour applicants — one of the measures — will be a blow to the Philippine economy, but Taiwan will not stop there, Jiang said. The government is prepared to levy economic sanctions on the Philippines, but Jiang added that it was unsuitable for him to reveal anything at this time.
According to officials, the premier yesterday ordered that if the Philippine government initiates any sort of press conference or issues a related statement before the ultimatum deadline, the Cabinet should halt all meetings and launch a responsive measure immediately.
The Cabinet reportedly held a meeting with the Ministry of Economic Affairs to discuss the possible consequences that economic sanctions could have on the Philippines, and how Taiwan might be affected.
“Although it is inevitable that Taiwan's economy would certainly be impacted, the consequences seem tolerable,” one Cabinet official said. “So, the Cabinet has decided to follow through with the sanctions if the Philippines does not respond (to the ultimatum).”
Projects to spur economic growth currently being drawn up by the Cabinet — such as loosening investment restrictions, exploring emerging markets and boosting domestic demand — do not conflict with possible sanctions on the Philippines, according to officials.
The Cabinet stressed that it has fully discussed the terms of suspending all Philippine worker applicants with the Council of Labour Affairs (CLA).
“Taiwan's suspension would only apply to new applicants for now. We do not wish to damage the relations between the current Philippine workers and their employers. Taiwan will look for foreign labour forces from Thailand or Vietnam if the worst happens,” officials said.
CLA Minister Pan Shih-wei has confirmed that if the Philippines government had not responded by the Wednesday midnight deadline, the freeze would begin this morning.
“Hopefully the Philippine government will give us a positive response,” Pan said.
According to the CLA, roughly 2,000 labour applications from the Philippines have been lodged per month this year, with one-third applying to work as care givers, and the others for positions in factories and enterprises.
“Every country has its own responsive measures when dealing with such a tragedy, and we are ready,” Pan said, referring to the killing of fisherman Hung Shih-cheng.
Hung died when the Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources opened fire on the boat after it crossed into overlapping waters between Taiwan and the Philippines.
A 72-hour ultimatum was issued by the Presidential Office on Saturday. In it, President Ma Ying-jeou demanded a formal apology, compensation to the family of the dead fisherman and the prosecution of those responsible for the killing.
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