Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Taiwan anticipating vibrant ties with Philippines after election

Taipei, May 11 (CNA) The Taiwan government expects robust bilateral relations with the Philippines after the 15th president of the Southeastern Asian country is determined, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

As of Tuesday morning, Benigno Aquino III was ahead in the vote count, with over 40 percent of the ballots from about 78 percent of the precincts having been reported. His closest competitor in the nine-way presidential race was former President Joseph Estrada with 25.5 percent of the vote.

Taiwan has always enjoyed good relations with its closest neighbor to the south, and regardless of who wins, Taiwan expects stronger bilateral ties in the future, MOFA spokesman James Chang said at a press briefing.

Taiwan has signed numerous Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Philippines over the years to boost bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including agriculture, technology, fisheries, health, emergency relief and weather forecasting, he said.

"Senator Aquino, who is in the lead, is known for his efforts to fight corruption, " Chang said. "We expect the governments of both sides to continue to work closely together on many fronts." Senator Aquino is the son of former Philippines President Corazon Aquino and Benigno Servillano Aquino Jr., who was an opposition leader against former President Ferdinand Marcos and was assassinated in 1983 upon his return home from exile in the United States.

The Philippines presidential election was held Monday, employing a fully automated voting system for the first time in the country.

According to the country's Constitution, the incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not permitted to seek re-election as she had already served in that position. However, Estrada, who was deposed in 2001, was able to compete amid controversy in legal circles over the Constitutional article, including the question of whether or not it applies to both sitting and former presidents. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc