Taiwan

Taipei gives us until tomorrow to apologize for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman, apparently in a skirmish with the Philippine Coast Guard. Manila has not officially acknowledged that as fact.

Taiwan has its own claims over the contested South China Sea islets, although the small island nation did not play a visible role in recent confrontations. Her own claims duplicate those of Beijing. China, for her part, officially maintains Taiwan to be merely a province and therefore does not acknowledge the island’s claims as separate from her own.

Since the Philippines adopted a One-China policy in the seventies, we have officially withdrawn recognition of Taiwan as a separate nation-state in accordance with Beijing’s wishes. Dealing with the Taiwanese territorial claim therefore presents us with an awkward diplomatic problem.

Although we do not have an embassy in Taipei, we maintain relations with the powerhouse island economy through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO). That office is thinly disguised under some official fiction about this being an entirely private institution. That is the contortion we take to accommodate the One China policy while ensuring consular business continues to be done with Taiwan.

One reason why APEC is an association of economies rather than nation-states is to accommodate separate representation for Taiwan and Hong Kong, industrial, financial and trading powerhouses in their own right distinct from China. We are not the only ones accommodating Taiwan. It is simply the practical thing to do beyond the rigid categories of diplomatic protocol.

There is scarce reporting on the alleged incident that incurred Taipei’s wrath and brings that island nation into the complex diplomatic configuration over the South China Sea islets.

To be sure, our Coast Guard has had as much problems with Taiwanese as much as Chinese fishing fleets poaching on territorial waters we claim. They come in large numbers and with huge trawlers that overshadow the small patrol boats our enforcers use. A daily cat-and-mouse game goes on in the contested waters.

There is no indication at the moment how our government will respond to the Taiwanese demand for an apology. There no indication as well what Taiwan intends to do in the event we ignore the deadline they set for an apology --- although they have stepped up maritime patrols close to our waters. 

What is sure is that the territorial dispute has now become a bit more complex and a little more pressing for the Philippine side. We can only hope our foreign affairs people have their hands firmly on the wheel as the waters become rougher.

Safe buildings

We have seen the major tragedies that ensue from minor acts of corruption. In Bangladesh several days ago, close to a thousand people were killed when an obviously substandard building collapsed under its own weight. Weak enforcement of building regulations is the culprit in this tragedy.

A few years ago, a building in Binondo slowly tilted and then spilled onto the street without any seismic provocation. Substandard building materials, conveniently overlooked by the city engineering office, could be the only reason for this. Then there is the Ruby Tower collapse several decades back that killed many, also in the Binondo area.

The two Binondo buildings are small by present standards. Metro-Manila has entered the skyscraper age, with property conglomerates trying to outdo each other for the distinction of having the highest structure in this crowded urban jungle. The demand for strict enforcement of building codes becomes more urgent.

Several weeks ago, a criminal complaint was filed before the Makati Prosecution Office against Century City Development Corporation (CCDC) for violating the building permit issued for the 73-storey Gramercy Residences. The complaint was filed by Milton Toledo, a vice-president for the company operating Buddha Bar which sits right beside the high-rise development.

By the records, the building permit issued for Gramercy Residences was for a 68-storey structure. The developers added five more floors to the structure without an amended building permit. This illustrates how developers treat building regulators with impunity.

The Makati City Hall has done nothing about the evident violation of the building permit it issued. However, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson stepped in with an order withholding issuance of an occupancy permit for the five additional floors added by Gramercy Residences. The order stands until all the issues regarding violations of the National Building Code are resolved.

Obviously, the higher the structure, the more stringent the engineering requirements should be. With urban land prices rising, the tendency is for property developers to build taller structures. This raises a rather disturbing question: Are the enforcers of the National Building Code adequately skilled for the jobs they have to do?

Building permits are issued by local governments, not exactly the institutions capable of hiring the best talent. Issuance of building permits, we all know, are vulnerable to corruption.

Those considerations bring tragic images from Bangladesh to mind.