Accountability and Apology

Second Week, August

The Republic of China (Taiwan) had announced the lifting of the sanctions that it has imposed against the Philippines for the death of its fisherman in the hands of members of the Philippine Coast Guard. The trade related sanctions were lifted on account of the written apology which the government’s representative handed to the widow of the deceased and the filing of criminal charges against the erring officials.

What does the Philippine government achieved by such gesture? It achieved something political significant for the two governments. The gesture repairs the damage which the incident had caused to the relationship between the Philippines and Taiwan. Of course, the outcome of the cases filed against those responsible for the incident will impact on the restoration of the diplomatic relations between them.

Asking apology for a wrong done is not part of the Philippine criminal justice system. Even in instances where a convicted felon has applied for probation, asking apology for the crimes committed is never a part of the assertions that constitute the application. Nor is the probationer obliged to show remorse for the crime that he had committed before the application could be granted. The conditions of probation also do not include any obligation ask apology from the victims or even to show remorse for the crime done.   

In 2008, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asked apology to all aborigines of Australian for the suffering and loss that they continue to suffer from forcible evictions and discriminatory laws and policies that the parliament has adopted. His speech before the Parliament was greeted by a standing ovation of the members of the parliament.