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Updated Thursday, March 10, 2011 11:27 am TWN, CNA

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Philippines replaces immigration chief to solve row with Taiwan

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine government announced the replacement of its immigration chief yesterday in an apparent attempt to resolve a row with Taiwan over the deportation of Taiwanese nationals suspected of fraud to China.

Malacanang Palace said in a statement that President Benigno Aquino III has named Ricardo David Jr. to replace Ronaldo Ledesma as commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration.

Amadeo Perez Jr., chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, a quasi-official organization authorized to handle bilateral ties in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, said that he believed the change was a goodwill response to Taiwan's demand for concrete steps to mend the deportation rift.

Ledesma had served as acting immigration bureau commissioner since last July. The bureau was the agency responsible for deporting 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China on Feb. 2 despite Taiwan's strong protests.

Perez said acting agency heads would normally be promoted to formally lead their agency after a certain period of service if they had not committed any major mistakes.

In Ledesma's case, however, he was demoted to take up his previous post as director of the immigration bureau's Board of Special Inquiry, according to the statement from the Philippine presidential office.

Describing the personnel shift as a way for the Philippine government to say sorry for deporting the Taiwanese fraud suspects to China, Perez said he hoped Taiwan would resume friendly exchanges with his country soon.

On Monday, the Philippine Department of Justice also issued an order with immediate effect appointing Maria Antonette Bucasas as the new head of the Bureau of Immigration's Intelligence Division, replacing Faizal Hussin, who was not assigned any new responsibility.

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Comments

March 11, 2011 lalavian@

Replacing BI chief doesn't have anything to do with Taiwan-philippines issue. It’s normal thing to replace previous gov’t agency leaders by new administration. Taiwan is always putting words into Philippines mouth... Taiwan should admit that they shouldn't have asked for an apology as this is not in diplomatic vocabulary...