RP diplomatic ties with S'pore back on track<\/p>\n
MANILA (Reuter): The Philippines and Singapore restored full
\ndiplomatic ties yesterday, eight months after a near break over
\nthe hanging of a Filipina maid.<\/p>\n
Philippine President Fidel Ramos announced an official end to
\nthe bitter diplomatic row with the appointment of new ambassadors
\nby each country.<\/p>\n
"This exchange attests to the fact we have definitely placed
\nPhilippines-Singapore diplomatic relations back on the right
\ntrack," Ramos said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The two countries traditionally have been close allies in the
\nseven-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).<\/p>\n
"Our bilateral relations are now considered normalized," Ramos
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Alberto Encomienda, a seasoned envoy with more than 20 years
\nof diplomatic service and currently ambassador to Malaysia, will
\ntake over the post in Singapore, Ramos said.<\/p>\n
The Philippines welcomed the designation of Simon Tensing de
\nCruz as Singapore's new ambassador to Manila, he said.<\/p>\n
The two countries downgraded diplomatic ties by pulling out
\ntheir ambassadors and came close to a complete break after
\nSingapore hanged Flor Contemplacion for double murder in March
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
The execution of the mother of four sparked nationwide
\nprotests in the Philippines even though Contemplacion had
\nconfessed to killing another Filipina maid and a four-year-old
\nSingaporean boy in 1991.<\/p>\n
Filipinos, claiming Contemplacion was framed, torched
\nthousands of Singaporean flags and gave her a heroine's burial in
\nher home town. Her story inspired three hugely successful movies.<\/p>\n
Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong scrapped a scheduled
\nvisit to the Philippines and the uproar caused heads to roll in
\nManila's foreign and labor ministries.<\/p>\n
Ramos suspended nine diplomats and labor officials after
\naccusations they did not do enough to protect Contemplacion's
\ninterests. Then foreign secretary Roberto Romulo was forced to
\nresign, which prompted him to remark that his government had
\n"gone berserk" over the affair.<\/p>\n
The controversy over Contemplacion finally eased in July when
\nautopsy results conducted by a panel of U.S. forensic experts
\nbacked Singaporean findings pointing to the maid as the killer.<\/p>\n
The affair spurred an inquiry into the plight of about four
\nmillion Filipinos working overseas, including 60,000 in
\nSingapore. Most work in menial jobs, while thousands of others
\nwork as night club dancers and prostitutes.<\/p>\n
Manila officials said they expected the government to lift a
\nban on the sending of maids to Singapore shortly.<\/p>\n
"Our respective officials will pursue with added vigor their
\nefforts to continue expanding and improving bilateral relations
\nin all fields, most specially as regards the situation of
\nFilipino nationals working in Singapore," Ramos said.<\/p>\n
Ramos said the decision to appoint new ambassadors was in
\naccordance with an agreement he reached with Goh when they met in
\nBangkok last month during a summit meeting of ASEAN leaders.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rp-diplomatic-ties-with-spore-back-on-track-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}