Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda also rejected a demand by Taiwan's representative to Manila for the government to apologise, insisting that authorities acted based on evidence gathered against the group.

"It is based on our national interest to do so," Lacierda told reporters when asked why the 14 were sent to China instead of Taiwan.

"These Taiwanese nationals are part of an international crime ring so on that basis and based on the evidence that was presented... we did what was proper to do so.

"The evidence is in China, the crime was committed in China, so it was in our best national interest to deport them to China."

Taiwan has expressed fury over last week's deportation of the 14 to the mainland, saying they should have been sent back to face justice on the self-ruled island.

China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949.

Taiwan's top official in Manila, Donald Lee, on Wednesday accused the Philippine government of bowing to pressure from China, while labelling the deportations "inhumane".

In response to the deportations, the Taiwanese government this week toughened screening procedures for Filipinos wanting to work on the island and warned they may even be banned.

President Benigno Aquino said Thursday he may send an envoy to Taiwan to explain his government's actions.

Meanwhile, Taipei reiterated a call for China to hand the 14 over.

"We urge the mainland side to return the persons to Taiwan soon to stand trial to enhance positive interactions between the two sides," said the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's top China policy-making body.

The council promised that the suspects would be "severely punished."

The Philippine lawyer for the 14 Taiwanese, Maria Asuncion Cabrera, on Thursday insisted the government had broken international law by sending them to China.

"They were unlawfully and arbitrarily arrested and denied due process," Cabrera told AFP.

"We presented their original passports which showed their point of origin was Taipei, and under the principle of nationality in international law, they should have been sent back to Taiwan."

The 14 Taiwanese were arrested in the Philippines, along with 10 Chinese nationals, over an alleged scam to swindle mainland Chinese out of $20 million.

earlier related report
Taiwan accuses Philippines of bowing to China
Manila (AFP) Feb 9, 2011 - Taiwan on Wednesday accused the Philippines of bowing to pressure from Beijing over the "inhumane" deportation of alleged Taiwanese criminals to China, and warned of retaliatory action.

The 14 Taiwanese, along with 10 Chinese nationals, were arrested by Philippine authorities in December over alleged credit card fraud and all were deported to China last week.

Donald Lee, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, which represents the island's interests in the Philippines, said authorities ignored his request for the suspected fraudsters to be returned to Taiwan.

"Furthermore, no prior notification of deportation was given to my office, and the deportation itself proceeded secretly at midnight, which shows no due respect to the government of Taiwan," Lee told reporters.

"Succumbing to the pressure from the People's Republic of China, this deportation is very inhumane, unfair and null and void."

He said the move greatly impaired relations with the Philippines, and warned Taiwanese authorities could retaliate against the tens of thousands of Filipino workers in the island.

"How can the Philippine government expect Taiwan to provide the deserved legal rights and protection to the 80,000 OFWs (Filipino workers) in Taiwan?," Lee said.

Taiwan has already this week increased the screening period for Filipino people trying to enter the island to work, and threatened to bar them from entry completely.

Lee confirmed that as part of the island's protest, he would temporarily head back to Taipei.

"I will be recalled. I am leaving within this week," he said.

However Philippine presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said that Manila would not back down on the issue.

"We stand by what happened. We stand by the explanation that we have already given," she told reporters.

Valte said that the government would leave it up to its office in Taiwan to deal with any sanctions that might be imposed over the incident.

Officials from the Chinese embassy in Manila were not immediately available for comment.

Lee's comments were the second time in recent months that the Philippine government has been accused of bowing to pressure from China, which is increasingly flexing its political and economic muscle in Asia.

In December, President Benigno Aquino's government was severely criticised for skipping the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway honouring Chinese dissident Liu Xiabao.

After initially saying Manila's envoy to Oslo could not attend because of a scheduling conflict, Aquino said the move was meant to encourage China to spare five Filipinos on death row there for drug trafficking.

The Nobel events also took place in the same week the Philippines secured military hardware supplies from China.

China and Taiwan split at the end of a civil war in 1949.

Like most countries, the Philippines recognises only the Beijing government, although it maintains economic and cultural ties with Taiwan.

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