Foreign Filipino Caregiver in Taiwan Will Not Be Deported Says Yunlin County

A foreign migrant worker from Taiwan who was accused of libel to the president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte through social media will not be deported. She will be continuing to work in Taiwan as a caregiver, says the chief of labor affairs in the southern county of Yunlin.

Chang-Shih-Chung, the Director-General of the Yunlin Labor Affairs Department, shared the statement after conversing with the female foreign worker, her lawyer, her employer, and her broker at the county government on Wednesday.


During the conversation, Chang stated that the employer and broker said that they do not intend to end her contract or ask for her deportation.

The authorities at the labor affairs department said that all foreign workers in Taiwan have the right to freedom of expression and they are equal under Taiwan laws.

The OFW will not be deported without due cause. Also, as long as the Filipina worker does not violate any laws in the country, the county government will give her protection to continue work.


Additionally, Chang had asked the police to increase patrols where the OFW lives. Her online remarks had sparked anger for some people.

The statement was made by Chang after the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines accused the OFW of cyber liber of the willful posting on social media bad comments about the current president of the Philippines.

She was identified as a caregiver who worked as a caregiver in Yunlin County. She shared her videos under the name Linn Silawan where she criticized the current president of the Philippines and his support for their acts against the COVID-19 crisis in the country.

Based on the statement of DOLE, the posting and sharing of such videos are punishable. She is accused of violating Republic Act 10175. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office had conversed with her employer and broker. The officed asked for her deportation due to the intensity of her violation of Philippine Laws.

However, the spokesperson of the president said that Manila was not asking for her deportation and that they also value freedom of expression.


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan had also said on Monday, that if Manila believes that the OFW had violated any law in the Philippines, they suggest that the authorities can request for judicial cooperation through diplomatic networks.

Additionally, the ministry stated that foreign workers in Taiwan are entitled to the same freedom of expression as the citizens of Taiwan and it should be respected by foreign nations.

According to the chairman of MECO Angelito Banayo, he had not received any orders from the office of the president to seek the deportation of the OFW.


According to Banayo, the statement of DOLE about the request to deport the OFW was a ‘unilateral decision.’
Banayo had already apologized to Taiwan’s MOFA for the statement released by DOLE about the OFW.

Banayo stated that deportation is in the hands of the host country. The Philippines cannot do anything to bias their decision towards foreign workers.