‘China is the one raising tensions over Taiwan’

MANILA, Philippines — It is China, not the Philippines, that is raising tensions in the region by “bullying and harassing” smaller nations and warning the country on the dire fate of Filipinos working in Taiwan, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said yesterday.

Hontiveros urged Malacañang to have Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian sent back to China for his “truly disgraceful” statements, which she said were a threat.

“The Palace should tell Beijing to recall their representative in Manila as soon as possible. He has no business being a diplomat if he is unable to engage with us in a respectful and dignified manner,” she said in a statement.

Huang had asked the Philippines to oppose Taiwan independence, suggesting that Manila must do so “if it genuinely cares about” the 150,000 Filipinos working in the self-governing island that Beijing considers as a renegade province.

“How dare he (Huang) threaten us,” Hontiveros quipped. “He, along with his country’s ships and artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, should pack up and leave.”

Ironically, Huang made the remarks at last Friday’s forum organized by the Association for Philippines-China Understanding.

Huang accused the Philippines of “stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait,” referring to the recent selection of four new sites inside Philippine military bases located in the northern and western parts of the country where US troops are allowed access as part of the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the US.

Critics have warned the new sites, where US military equipment can also be stored, could be used as launching pads by American forces should conflict arise in the event Beijing takes Taiwan by force.

Hontiveros said Filipinos in Taiwan “will continue to work where they work” and will thrive and make a living according to their wishes.

“We will never let Beijing decide on the future of Filipino families. Their destiny is not in China’s hands,” she said.

Yesterday, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) also condemned the Chinese ambassador’s threatening remarks on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan as ”unacceptable” and “reprehensible.”

“We understand that the issue of Taiwan is a flashpoint, but we denounce his threat to our OFWs in Taiwan to push the Philippines to join his Chinese foreign policy,” FFW vice president Jun Ramirez said.

Ramirez said Huang’s remarks were a clear violation of the UN Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers and urged the Philippine government to ensure the safety and protection of OFWs.

FFW president Sonny Matula said Filipinos in Taiwan are getting nervous and that information has reached the FFW that some OFWs who completed their contract are opting not to return to Taiwan anymore.

Hontiveros said the Philippines will never interfere with the issue of Taiwanese independence even as the country respects the right of the Taiwanese people to self-determination.

“This right must be upheld by all other nations that share this planet, even including the autocratic regime of China,” she said.

She said if China has issues with the US, it should not drag the Philippines into their fight.

“It is China who has been stoking tensions in the region, claiming territories that aren’t hers. It is China who continues to bully, harass, and intimidate other smaller nations in the region. It is China who is making all this mess,” said the senator.

The Senate committee on foreign relations, chaired by Sen. Imee Marcos, is set to hold a general inquiry into the EDCA, an implementing agreement under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries.

Sen. Sonny Angara, for his part, said the Philippines is not seeking conflict with China or any country for that matter and the continued implementation of EDCA was only to strengthen the country’s self-defense posture.

“So other countries should not be alarmed, this is only for self-defense,” Angara told dzBB.

The FFW said it agrees with Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile’s assertion that China should respect the Philippines’ sovereign prerogative in defense cooperation with the US.

The FFW also concurred with President Marcos’ statement that the EDCA could not be used for offensive actions, as the Philippines adheres to the UN Charter and the Philippine Constitution.

Still, Matula said the government must exhaust all peaceful and diplomatic means to resolve conflicts with other countries. — Mayen Jaymalin