Making life worth living
By Ellen Tordesillas
Malaya
FVR, giving advice as his patriotic duty
MAKASSAR, Indonesia—Former President Fidel V. Ramos has recommended the creation of a neutral investigation on the May 9 encounter between a Philippine patrol ship and Taiwanese fishing vessel in the disputed maritime boundary that resulted in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman and sparked violent protests in Taiwan against the Philippines.
Ramos also stressed that almost two weeks after the incident, the results of the Philippine investigation “should already have come out by this time.”
Speaking to Filipino journalists on the sidelines of the Second General Assembly of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI), Ramos drew from lessons in the 1995 Flor Contemplacion crisis and recommended that a “neutral country or group do a second investigation” in case Taiwan rejects the results of an investigation by the Philippine authorities even if he said it’s “a very valid honest, according to law, upright, and credible investigation.”
Contemplacion was a Filipino domestic helper in Singapore convicted for the murder of a fellow OFW Delia Maga. Raging public sentiments accused the Ramos government of failing to convince the Singapore government to stop her hanging. It took a while for the strained diplomatic relations between Singapore and the Philippines to return to normal.
“What is necessary is for authorities to come out with their initial investigation right away and pinpoint if there was indeed a shooting by the Philippine Coast Guard. Let them come out with it. If the Taiwanese say we want a joint investigation and the Department of Justice says, ‘No,’ let the Philippines finish their probe first and then later on, because Taiwan here is the aggrieved party, let a neutral party do the investigation as maybe agreed to by the Taiwanese and the Philippine governments,” the former president said.
Ramos, a former military general, said it is important that “the government of the Philippines …not delay action on the investigation.”
“After all,” he said, “it’s not so complicated.” He added that it’s not like an investigation of a series of slaughter in the jungle where platoons of soldiers are involved.
Ramos noted that the incident, which happened where the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zones of the Philippines and Taiwan overlap, involved one vessel manned by the Philippine Coast Guard, which is under the Department of Transportation and Communication. The ship is owed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
“No, those guards were there on patrol by orders of a superior officer. That superior officer must be taken also into the investigation to find out what were his orders,” Ramos said adding that’s the rule in the uniform services, which include the Coast Guard.
“You don’t you just shoot without asking for instruction from above unless your life is in danger,” he said.
The Coast Guard chief is Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena. The DOTC secretary is Joseph “Jun” Abaya, a former Philippine Navy officer and a graduate of the US Naval Academy.
The Philippines and Taiwan agreed on Monday to cooperate in each other’s investigation as the DOJ rejected a joint probe because of diplomatic complications.
The Philippines adopts a One-China policy that recognizes Beijing as the sole representative of the Chinese people and considers Taiwan a province.
Former diplomat and congressman Apolinario Lozada suggested that President Aquino tap Ramos as his personal emissary because of the latter’s stature as former president and connections in Taiwan.
FVR’s father, the late Narciso Ramos, a diplomat, was the first head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan when the Philippines adopted the One-China policy in 1974.
Ramos said Taiwanese and Filipinos are the best of friends since 1946 when the Philippines provided sanctuary to more than 30,000 Chinese under Chiang Kai Shek who were driven out of the mainland by Communist forces. “They grew up and became prosperous. They are the parents of the present Taiwanese many of them are quite prosperous.”
Ramos said he has not been approached by Malacanang nor is he offering himself to be Aquino’s emissary to Taiwan. “I’m just giving out answers and advice through my writings in the Manila Bulletin. It’s a take it or leave it proposition.”
He said he feels it’s his duty to give out advice as an older Filipino, taxpaying citizen.
In the Lahad Datu,Sabah crisis last February where 30 Filipinos Filipinos were killed, Ramos advised the Aquino government to convene a national security council meeting. Aquino advised the former president to “write him a memo” on the issue.
Taiwan has suspended the hiring of Filipino workers and warned their citizens against going to the Filipinos. There are some 85, 000 Filipino workers in Taiwan and many are reporting hostilities against them.
Earlier Tuesday, President Benigno S. Aquino III said Philippine government officials are coordinating with their Taiwanese counterparts to resolve the issue regarding the reported harassment and assaults against Filipinos in Taiwan in the wake of the tension caused by the death of a Taiwanese fisherman last May 9 off Batanes group of islands.
In an interview after attending the 115th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Navy held at the Commodore Posadas Wharf Headquarters, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Station Pascual Ledesma, Fort San Felipe in Cavite City, the Chief Executive said the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) representatives are holding dialogues with their counterparts to address the concerns of the Filipinos residing and working in Taiwan.
“At ang balita natin ay naglabas ang Prime Minister ng Taiwan at saka ‘yung kanilang Ministry of Foreign Affairs na dapat hindi imaltrato ang ating mga kababayan doon, at magkakaroon ng kaukulang parusa kung sino man ang mapatunayan na magmamaltrato sa ating mga kababayan—nagpapasalamat tayo doon,” he Aquino said.
The MECO has organized a team that will document reports of harassment and assaults against Filipinos in Taiwan and relay it to Taiwan’s foreign ministry.
The Philippine government is calling on the Taiwanese people not to harass the Filipinos there because they have nothing to do with the shooting death of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shi-chen.
President Aquino directed the NBI to conduct a thorough, exhaustive, impartial and expeditious investigation of the incident. The NBI has given this case the highest priority
He said he wants the issue regarding the Taiwanese fisherman’s death to be resolved first before initiating a dialogue with Taiwan and other countries to come up with a fisheries agreement
“Tapusin na muna natin itong kasalukuyang na isyu, merong mga unang dayalogo tungkol diyan. Pero ‘yung sa fisheries ay ating pinaaaral ang mga limitasyon natin,” he said.
“Yung guarding the national patrimony provisions of the Constitution will come into play. So, after we finish this issue, we will talk to every neighbor that we have to ensure peaceful and equally prosperous relations with everybody,” he said.
