Group calls Taiwan’s MA: Reciprocate Aquino’s Protection efforts for every Taiwanese in the Philippines

An anti-graft group yesterday has called on the Taiwan government to use all of its power and resources to protect Filipinos from attacks and abuses by its citizens in that island-state the way the Aquino government protects Taiwanese in the Philippines.

Leaders of the Center for Anti-Graft and Corruption Prevention, Inc. (The Center) called on Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou to reciprocate the full resolve of President Benigno S. Aquino lll to protect every Taiwanese in the entire archipelago at these trying times.

Lane Afable, The Center’s secretary-general, said that as violence and abuses directed against Filipinos escalates in Taiwan, it is imperative that Taiwan President Ma should exhibit diplomatic reciprocity in giving due protection to Filipino migrants the way the Aquino government and Filipinos protect Taiwanese citizens across the country.

“All hostile acts by Taiwanese citizens against Filipinos in Taiwan should be stopped now by the Ma government in response to best actions by all Filipinos in the Philippines, including President Aquino, in securing the safety of their nationals wherever in country’s 7,101 islands.

“Although Philippines and Taiwan has no diplomatic ties, reciprocity in all aspects are expected by all decent peoples and by democratic governments to build our world a peaceful place to live in,” Afable said.

Afable said that Taiwan, as host country of the 87,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), is duty-bound to protect them as their stay in that country are bound by legal contracts between governmental institutions of both countries and of respected business entities with full intent towards achieving progressive and tight economic ties among peoples of both nations.

“We are sad over the cruelty of Taiwanese towards Filipinos by not even allowing them to buy food in grocery stores or in some markets which only signify the ugliness of the Taiwanese culture.

“The Center condemns with deepest outrage against such incidents,” Afable said.

Afable said that the so-called killing of a poacher fisherman named Hung Shih-cheng, 65, of Kaoshung City should not result to ‘taking the law into the hands by Taiwanese citizens’ in apparent retaliation to the incident since Taiwan is governed by laws and currently strives to live decently with global communities.

“The ‘jungle-man’ attitude of some Taiwanese in ‘taking the law into their hands’ as a reaction to the Hung’s killing readily exclude them to become good member of the decent world community, in the United Nations (UN), like North Korea. If that won’t stop now, it is imperative for the Philippines to oppose Taiwan’s bid to win a seat in the UN for good,” Afable stressed.

Afable said, the Taiwan government should asked their people instead to resort to and set for transparent legal proceedings on the case since it is the only best option left for both peoples and countries.

“Taiwan’s actions against the Philippines after the incident have been too brutal and of ‘jurrasic-like justice’ in jungles of Africa, especially on physically attacking innocent Filipinos living in that country. In fact, it now looks as an ‘act of war’ that the world community readily condemns,” Afable laments.

Afable also said, the people of Taiwan should stop their outrage against the 87,000 OFWs in that country on the basis that it hugely contributes to the economy of that island-state, more than what they (Taiwanese gangs) do to their country.

“Of all foreign workers in Taiwan, it is on the OFWs that takes the ‘work-horse’ role and manages the huge level of productivity. The Taiwanese people should even be thankful for it,” Afable said.

The Center, however, denounces retaliation to the acts done by Taiwanese to Filipinos in Taiwan, but expresses its strongest desire to fight with the government side by side at all fronts in securing and protecting the safety of every Filipino in foreign countries.