Justice Secretary Hernando Perez finally withdrew yesterday his call for the expulsion of Chinese Ambassador Wang Chungui after a spat that threatened to sour relations between Manila and Beijing.
"For the sake of relations between our country and China, I will withdraw it," Perez said, adding that Wang expressed regret over the incident. "The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is asking that I forgive him."
It was past 10 a.m. when Perez and Wang came face to face for the first time since the two quarreled last Sept. 20 over the fate of 122 Chinese fishermen jailed in Palawan for poaching.
They had a five-minute meeting at the DFA before they faced reporters. There were no traces of the past dispute as Perez and Wang smiled, and gamely allowed their photographs taken as they shook hands.
"We have become friends, so it’s over," Wang told reporters. "We are going to forget about it." Perez, on the other hand, thanked Wang for expressing regret.
But Perez made it clear that his withdrawal would not affect the judicial proceedings involving the Chinese poachers. "We will continue with their prosecution," he said, adding that the boats would be confiscated.
"If we give them back their boats, they will just continue with their illegal fishing," he said, charging that some of the detained fishermen were repeat offenders who had been caught in Philippine waters before.
Justice officials said both sides agreed that the poachers would be released after their arraignment on Friday.
"The Chinese fishermen would pay fines of up to $50,000 and they would plead guilty," said senior state prosecutor Jovencito Zuño. The fishermen are expected to be flown back to China by weekend. "But if they enter a plea of guilty and pay the fine, we will move for trial."
Perez was initially hesitant to meet with Wang but he eventually agreed to settle their differences upon the intercession of acting foreign affairs secretary Lauro Baja, a long-time friend of Perez.
Baja said the dispute between Perez and Wang was settled without the ambassador issuing a written apology nor the Department of Justice (DOJ) being pressured to release the poachers who were arrested in January.
"The important thing is that the incident has been put to a close," Baja said.
Perez asked the DFA on Sept. 20 to have Wang declared persona non grata and expelled for trying to "bully" him into releasing the poachers without paying the $50,000 fine.
Wang grew angry and slammed his fist on the table when Perez insisted on confiscating the fishermen’s boats and charging them hefty fines even if they agreed to plead guilty in exchange for being swiftly released.
Perez also told the ambassador that it was up to the judge because the fishermen have already been charged in court.
Wang even told Perez that he brought him mooncake on the occasion of the Chinese autumn moon festival. The Chinese embassy made no comment on the incident.
With their dispute settled, Perez said he and Wang may now eat mooncake together. "I promised him I will eat his mooncake," he said.
On Sept. 12, the Chinese envoy met with Perez, who agreed to lower the original $100,000 fine on the Chinese fishermen to $50,000.
The poachers would likewise plead guilty and that the six boats would be confiscated.
It was not immediately clear why Wang wanted the poachers’ immediate release.
The dispute came only days after Chinese legislative chairman Li Peng visited Manila and both governments pledged to strengthen ties.
President Arroyo, however, thought expelling Wang was "extreme" and ordered the DFA to mediate to prevent straining bilateral ties.
Perez’s conciliatory move came hours before the arrival yesterday of Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian for a four-day goodwill visit.
Chi is expected to discuss the Spratlys territorial dispute with Philippine officials.
Also likely to come up in Chi’s talks is a proposal by the local military to buy F-5 fighter jets from Taiwan.
Philippine diplomats said the Chinese had objected to such a deal on grounds it might violate their key one-China policy, with which Beijing seeks to block countries from dealing with Taiwan which it regards as a renegade province.
Wang, in a Sept. 10 meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople, had expressed hope that the fishermen would be released in time for the Sept. 12-15 visit of Chinese legislature chairman Li Peng.
Ople at that time said he asked Perez to release the prisoners, but justice officials said that was not possible because charges had already been filed in court.
The prisoners must plead guilty and pay the fine. Perez said the time the poachers have already spent in jail would be credited to their sentence.
Mrs. Arroyo assured Li that the poachers would be accorded a "speedy" judicial process.
The poachers were arrested over the last six months off Palawan. Dolphins, sea turtles, endangered species of fish, cyanide and other illegal fishing gear were found in their boats.
Some lawmakers and mayors of coastal towns said the poachers must go to jail to teach them and others a lesson.
The Philippine Navy and Coast Guard have difficulty in keeping poachers out because of a shortage of vessels to patrol the archipelago’s vast and porous coastline, which is longer than that of the United States. — With Marichu Villanueva, AFP