Manila bucks joint probe into Taiwanese death

MANILA: The Philippines and Taiwan agreed Monday to conduct a co-operative probe into the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on May 9, but continued to reject requests for a joint investigation with Taiwan as Manila adheres to a one-China policy.

In the meantime, Taipei has assured the safety of Filipinos in Taiwan who have been advised by Manila to “limit their movement” for fear of a violent backlash over the incident, as Taiwan’s President has been accused by a feisty Philippine senator of using the incident to deflect criticisms back home.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the co-operation was agreed upon during a meeting between officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Taiwanese prosecutors, in a bid to iron out cross-channel tensions and prevent the harassment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan.

Manila has diplomatic relations with Beijing, and therefore regards Taiwan as a province of the mainland.

De Lima said an NBI team would visit Taiwan to inspect Guang Ta Hsin 28, the boat that the PCG vessel MCS-3001 shot at off Balintang Channel, near the Philippine province of Batanes. In return, Taiwanese officials will be allowed to inspect the MCS-3001, which PCG operates jointly with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The NBI probe into the incident, which killed 65-year-old Hung Shih-chen during a confrontation between PCG and Taiwanese fishermen in Philippine waters, is almost complete. Its probe on the fishing vessel in Taiwan would conclude Manila’s investigation.

NBI officials also want a new autopsy done on Hung to find out how he died, although this needs approval from his family.

Antonio Basilio, resident representative of Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) in Taiwan, issued the advisory to about 87,000 OFWs in Taiwan, following attacks on some of them, Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, said Sunday.

“They should avoid doing unnecessary things, in other words, to keep within their workplace and their homes,” she stressed, adding that Meco has also spoken to the Filipino community leaders “to apprise them of what had happened, what the government has done”.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said that Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou could be using the incident to distract Taiwanese from their domestic problems.

“Their president has become unpopular but he should not use this incident as a distraction just so the hostility meant for him is deflected to us, as he seems not to know how to run his country,” she added.

She observed that Taiwanese officials seemed not to exert efforts to protect OFWs in Taiwan, saying that injuries sustained by these Filipinos from Taiwanese attacks could be considered an “act of aggression” and used as a ground to close Meco.

Meco Chairman Amadeo Perez has confirmed the a gang of Taiwanese youths had attacked a Filipino. He added that his office has also been documenting other cases of attacks, harassment and intimidation being inflicted by some Taiwanese on a number of OFWs.

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