YEARENDER: Hostage crisis strains Phl-China relations

MANILA, Philippines – Relations between the Philippines and China have been strained after the Aug. 23 hostage crisis in Rizal Park in Manila that resulted in the death of eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage taker.

China condemned the incident and asked the Philippine government to take concrete measures to ensure the safety of life and property of Chinese citizens in the country.

A special panel investigating the hostage incident had found 10 people, including government officials and journalists, liable for the tragedy.

The scheduled visit to Manila of Vice Premier Li Keqiang, a member of China’s politburo standing committee, was postponed but the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said this was in view of the natural disasters that have beset China, which resulted in many casualties and much destruction.

Hong Kong expressed disappointment at the decision of Malacañang’s legal team to lessen the recommended actions of the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC) against personalities involved in the failed hostage rescue.

Tourism Secretary Albert Lim went to Hong Kong earlier this month on a mission of goodwill and met with Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang to discuss the measures undertaken by the Philippine government after the incident.

To “clear” the picture with the Philippine government, Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao said that Filipino witnesses are to be called by Hong Kong to provide assistance within the framework of judicial assistance agreement between Hong Kong and the Philippines in determining the real cause of death of the eight victims.

Travel advisories

The Philippines was the subject of travel advisories from the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and Australia after an alleged cargo bomb ttempt against the US was foiled.

France was the first country that “modified” its travel advisory on the Philippines, citing “risk of terrorist attack” only in certain areas in Mindanao and not in the whole country.

Australia revised and reissued this month its travel advisory on the Philippines, removing the reference to “imminent” threat of terrorist attack in Manila but the overall level of travel advice has not changed.

The Philippines strongly urged members of the United Nations Security Council to take a “balanced” approach in the international campaign against terrorism and called on governments to “exercise due care and diligence” in issuing travel advisories.

The call was issued during the Security Council meeting on Nov. 15 as Manila underscored the need to take a holistic approach in addressing terrorism for strategies to be effective.

The Philippines emphasized that “governments must clearly distinguish between threats posed by ordinary criminal elements and those by terrorists, two very distinct categories.”

Meanwhile, WikiLeaks disclosures about how the United States uses its diplomatic missions as part of a global espionage network included 1,796 diplomatic cables from Manila to Washington, with the Philippines having the fourth most number of cables sent from US embassies in Southeast Asia.

The US embassy condemned the release of unauthorized information and the DFA said the authenticity of the leaked State Department documents should be verified first, even as it called the leaked reports very “disturbing.”

In one of the confidential documents sent by the American embassy in Beijing, the US said China might exert economic pressure on the Philippines in the future to choose between Beijing and Washington because of security threats posed by Japan’s participation in missile defense or future high-tech US military technologies.

In another document sent to Washington, it said China described former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a good leader because she showed that she was in control, a view shared by the US during the discussions between Eric John, then US Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and two senior Chinese diplomats regarding Southeast Asia.

They said Arroyo stabilized Philippine leadership and enacted strong fiscal and economic policy, but stressed that Beijing and Washington must encourage Manila to continue working hard to promote transparency and good governance.

Earlier this month, the Philippines and 18 other countries joined China in its boycott of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway which awarded Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Romulo reappointed

President Aquino re-appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and three DFA undersecretaries.

In June, the Union of Foreign Service Officers (UNIFORS) opposed the re-appointment of Romulo, saying his continued leadership at the DFA would be considered a “litmus test” of the change the President pledged.

In an open letter to Aquino, the career officers said Romulo remains as the one major “impediment” to the Department’s forward movement. UNIFORS urged Aquino to allow younger and more energetic officials, whether drawn from the career foreign service or outside, to hold the reins of a premier institution of government.

Twenty-five political ambassadors coterminous with President Arroyo were recalled to the home office but many resisted the recall order.

DFA officials warned that the regular rotation in the foreign service would be disrupted should a substantial number of political ambassadors remain in their posts.

The DFA finally yielded to the request of the political ambassadors and extended their tour of duty for three months, until Sept. 30, to wind up their affairs.

OFWs

In September, the DFA said that the decision on the cases of two Filipinos sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling is final and should not be linked to the backlash against the Philippines for the hostage taking incident in August, the decisions having been handed down long before the hostage crisis in Manila.

The DFA said 112 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are involved in active death penalty cases, 76 of them drug-related cases in China.

There are now 302 drug-related cases in Asia involving Filipinos, mostly female victims who were lured to act as “drug mules” by international syndicates. A majority of the cases are in China (205), Hong Kong (26) and Malaysia (17) and more female victims than males at 221 cases.

Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said high-level intercession to try to save the Filipinos sentenced to death are continuing.

The Philippine embassy in Brazil is also monitoring 50 reported cases of Filipinos detained for drug trafficking as drug cases involving Filipinos in other South American countries are on the rise, including 43 Filipinos detained for drug-related offenses in the countries covered by the embassy, namely Chile, Peru and Equador.

Migrant workers groups criticized the deep cuts in the DFA budget for assistance to distressed overseas workers.

The DFA 2011 budget is down to P10.98 billion from P19 billion in 2010. Also significantly cut was the budget for assistance to nationals, from P200 million in 2010 to P109.3 million for 2011, divided into P81.9 million for assistance to nationals and P27.3 million for the legal assistance fund.

VFA review, MCA approval

In an executive order dated Oct. 1, the President reorganized the Presidential Commission on the VFA (VFACOM) and appointed Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. as chairman. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Romulo are co-chair.

The President said there are benefits from the VFA, but a refinement is necessary to make the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) better.

DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya confirmed the ongoing VFA review, saying the revision of sections on the exercise of criminal jurisdiction and custody arrangements are being looked into.

The DFA said US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. was informed about the plan to “refine” the VFA.

The Board of Directors of the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) approved last August a $434-million (almost P20 billion) compact with the Philippine government to reduce poverty through economic growth.

The unanimous approval by the MCC Board, chaired by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, of the Philippines’ five-year Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact proposal for FY 2010-2014 is a recognition of the Philippine government’s commitment to good governance.

The MCC approval was also seen as a vote of confidence in the Aquino administration and its commitment to curb corruption.

PCA

In June, the European Union and the Philippines initialed in Brussels the text of a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), becoming the first-ever bilateral and comprehensive agreement between the two parties.

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, welcomed the initialing of the Agreement, and said that for the past 30 years, the relationship between the Philippines and the EU had been governed by the EEC-ASEAN Cooperation Agreement of 1980.

The Philippines is the second ASEAN country to complete negotiations for a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, following the signature of the PCA with Indonesia in November 2009.

Tensions in the Korean peninsula, South China Sea

The DFA deployed a rapid response team to South Korea headed by Special Envoy Roy Cimatu after the Philippine expressed concern over developments on the Korean peninsula after North Korea shelled an island near the disputed border with South Korea, killing civilians.

The Philippines condemned the artillery attack by North Korea on Yeonpyeong Island.

The team was tasked to verify evacuation sites, airports, seaports, availability of transportation and make preparation if an evacuation of the 50,270 Filipino workers in South Korea and eight Filipinos in North Korea becomes necessary.

China’s top diplomat to the Philippines opposed any involvement by the US or any third party in the South China Sea disputes, saying “the South China Sea issue is an issue between China and relevant claiming countries including the Philippines, Vietnam and other Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) members.”

Liu said that concerns on freedom of navigation in the South China Sea are “no excuse” by any third party for its involvement in the dispute. Washington has been pushing for a multilateral resolution to the issue.

China hosted from Dec. 22-24 a working group meeting between China and ASEAN countries on follow up measures to the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in Kunming, Yunnan province. –Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star)