Maid death protest mars Goh's visit

DEMONSTRATORS staged a 30-minute sit-down protest outside the Singapore embassy in Manila on Monday, hours before the arrival of Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

The 10 protesters distributed leaflets accusing Mr Goh and President Fidel Ramos of having been the ``ones who murdered Flor Contemplacion'', the Filipina maid whose 1995 hanging soured ties between the two countries.

``What we will try to do is to improve our handling of such cases,'' Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said on Monday. ``We're neighbours, so as much as possible we must help each other in resolving these problems.''

Mr Goh's three-day official visit is being seen as the symbolic restoration of full diplomatic ties.

The visit comes at a delicate time for both countries with the recent arrest of another Filipina maid, Edna Sumawang, for the alleged murder of a colleague, Anita Fuggan, who is the suspect's sister-in-law.

Contemplacion was sent to the gallows on 17 March 1995 for the killing of a fellow Filipina maid and a Singaporean boy, sparking protests by Manila and igniting huge protests at which Singapore flags were set on fire.

Several police officers monitored the embassy protest from a distance at the Makati financial district, but did not intervene.

No embassy official stepped out to meet the protesters, who held up placards which read: ``Ramos-Goh, Executioners of Migrant Workers'', and ``Dump the Labour Export Program''.

Singapore investments in the Philippines suffered the most from the fallout of the hanging, diving to US$3.76 million (HK$29.33 billion) in 1995 from a high of US$63.54 million at the end of 1994.

Last year the figure perked up to US$29.19 million, mostly into manufacturing, infrastructure and utilities.

``Issues will be on political co-operation and economic co-operation,'' Mr Siazon said.

Manila and Singapore are thought to have initially opposed the scheduled entry next month of Burma, Cambodia and Laos into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), but later went along with the plan when Asean foreign ministers met to decide on the issue last week.

Mr Goh is to hold talks with Mr Ramos on Tuesday. Mr Goh will also address a business luncheon and meet with the local Singaporean community. - AFP