Malacañang on Wednesday said it would respect the decision of Taiwan refusing to deport Filipino caregiver Elanel Egot Ordidor who criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response on social media.
In a television interview, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippine government could not compel Taiwan to deport Ordidor for her “nasty” remarks against the Duterte administration.
“The deportation is a decision to be made solely by Taiwanese authorities. We respect that decision and, of course, in the same way that we will enforce our law on all foreigners while they are under our jurisdiction,” Roque said.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ou Jiangan said the rights and interests of its foreign workers were protected by the country’s laws and regulations and would not deport the Filipino caregiver because she did not violate their laws and regulations.
The Taiwanese official also said Taiwan was a sovereign, independent country where foreign workers enjoy 'citizen treatment,' and their rights and interests are protected by relevant laws and regulations, including freedom of speech, which should be respected by governments of all countries.
She added that "no person or institution, in this case, has the right to pressure her, her employer, or broker, nor shall she be deported without consultations held between both governments."
Roque earlier denied that the government was seeking the deportation of Ordidor in Taiwan for alleged cyber libel.
“There is no truth that we are the ones who sought for (sic) her deportation because we do not interfere with the millions of OFWs and what they say because here in our country, we have freedom of expression,” Roque said.
But it was the Department of Labor and Employment that accused Ordidor of cyber libel for posting “nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook."
The DOLE claimed that Ordidor intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the pandemic.
Labor Attache Fidel Macauyag said Ordidor’s posts fell under cyber libel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act or Republic Act 10175.
Earlier, the Commission on Human Rights urged the government to respect the views and opinions of the public amid the pandemic.
"We continue to remind the government that public service requires a higher tolerance for opinions and criticisms, especially that a democracy works best when there are healthy discourses on governance; thereby, allowing greater accountability from our public officials," lawyer-spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.
"In the face of a pandemic which threatens almost every aspect of our life, we hope that the government, including its representatives here and abroad, can direct greater efforts in preserving the rights and dignity of Filipinos by finding ways to curb the transmission of the virus and cushion its impacts, especially to vulnerable sectors," De Guia said.