Bekas Polis Filipina Bakar Bendera Taiwan

Ex-cop burns Taiwanese flag over abuse of OFWs

(Reuters) - Former policeman Abner Afuang burned a Taiwanese flag on Thursday in Manila in protest over reports of mistreatment against Filipino workers in Taiwan. Tensions escalated between the two countries after a Taiwanese fisherman was killed last week by the Philippine coast guard in waters off the northern Philippines. On Wednesday (May 15), Taiwan recalled its envoy to the Philippines. The sanctions included the freezing of applications for work permits, the cessation of economic exchanges and military exercises in waters between the two sides. Local Taiwanese media reported several Filipinos were victims of violence. Afuang burned the flag in protest and urged the Taiwanese to show some respect. "To send them a message that we Filipinos are not cowards. We are creating principles, we are fighting for our rights," he said. The Philippines has appealed to Taiwan not to take out its anger on the more than 85,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan, many as domestic workers, but there have been many incidents of anti-Filipino sentiment. Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, said contingency measures were being prepared for the Filipino overseas workers in case the situation further escalates. The row is the latest flare-up in Asian seas where disputes in various places between various countries have raised fears of conflict in the economically vibrant region where competition for resources is intensifying. The Philippines and Taiwan, as well as China, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam, are embroiled in disputes over territory in the nearby South China Sea, potentially rich in oil and gas and criss-crossed by crucial shipping lanes.

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