OFWS in Taiwan told to avoid going out

MANILA – The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) issued an advisory to Filipinos in Taiwan to avoid going out for their safety amid the anger by some Taiwanese nationals over the killing of their compatriot by the Philippine Coast Guard personnel.

In an interview over Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Meco Executive Director Antonio Basilio has been in touch with the Filipino communities in Taiwan.

“I spoke to Mr. Basilio this morning and Mr. Basilio said that they issued an advisory to our citizens to limit themselves from going out... not to do unnecessary things... to stay within their workplace and their homes for the meantime,” she said.

To Filipinos who are being maltreated by their own employers, Valte said, “they should contact Meco at the soonest and then to make the proper representations. Our counterparts there are ready to help them.”

But she said that Basilio is currently in the Philippines.

There were already reported harassment cases by some angry Taiwanese nationals against some Filipinos following the May 9 incident off Batanes where 65-yearold Hung Shih-cheng was killed while coast guards were patrolling the Philippine waters.

Meco Chairman Amadeo Perez Jr. confirmed Sunday that two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were injured when attacked by an- gry mobs in Taiwan over the death of the Taiwanese fisherman. Perez, who returned home from Taiwan two days ago, said one OFW was documented by his office to have sustained hand injury when he parried a baseball bat during the attack, while another one was hit on the face.

“It was good he did not die as he suffered only contusions,” Perez said.

He said that before he left Taiwan, he ordered the Meco staff to identify the names and location of the two other OFWs similarly attacked by angry mobs.

The first two attacks were allegedly perpetrated by Taiwanese teenagers on board motorcycles who were known to be doing this even before but their countrymen as their targets. But late- ly, the attacks have shifted against the OFWs.

Perez said he has ordered his staff to continuously monitor the harassment to OFWs by the Taiwanese.

Valte said that all the pieces of information of harassment were being verified by Meco, and assistance, such as medical, is being extended to affected Filipinos.

“And, of course, they make the report to the relevant ministry there to start the investigation and to give justice (to the victims) whose reports (of harassments) were already verified,” she said. Amid the reported harassments, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma called on Filipinos who have relatives working in Taiwan to calm down and let the government do its job.

“We will protect our citizens because that is our duty and obligation. We will not just stand idly and allow our citizens to be harmed. Our government is committed to ensure that our citizens are safe; they are protected from harm, injury or from any threat to their well-being. The government is doing everything for the protection of all Filipino workers abroad,” he said.

A 14-man Taiwanese investigating team was in Manila for two days last week, concluding that Philippine authorities intentionally killed Hung while he was still in Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone.

Perez hit the report for being premature, saying they were trying to arrange a meeting through the Department of Justice so that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) can compare notes with their Taiwanese counterparts.