Philippines denies Taiwan's accusation of fatal shooting

The Philippines on May 18 denied Taiwan's accusation that its coast guard deliberately killed fishermen.

The 65-year-old fisherman was shot dead by the Philippine Coast Guard, who said his boat had trespassed into Philippine waters.

Chen Wen-chi, head of Taiwan's investigation team into the incident on May 9, said most of the bullets hit the fishing boat's cockpit, where the fishermen were hiding.

"The evidence clearly shows that Philippine law enforcement agencies intentionally shot the crew of the Guang Ta Hsin 28," Ms. Chen said at a press conference in Manila.

Ms. Chen Wen-chi, head of Taiwan's investigation team, presents the report (Photo: AFP)

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Ricky Carandang, spokesman for President Benigno Aquino, have denied the murder allegations.

"The investigation is still ongoing, so it is advisable to avoid making any premature statements that tend to confuse issues and cause hysteria," spokesman Carandang told AFP.

Justice Secretary De Lima in a separate statement also urged people to avoid making statements that "add fuel to the fire or aggravate the current tensions between the Philippines and Taiwan."

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said in Taipei yesterday (May 17) that "if Philippine law enforcement officers used weapons to fire at unarmed fishing boats without provocation, this is not the execution of duty. This is cold-blooded murder."

Philippine President Aquino made a "personal" apology on Wednesday for the "unintended" death, which stemmed from the Philippine Coast Guard's duty to combat illegal fishing.

Manila asserted that its forces fired in self-defense to disable the ship's engines and prevent it from ramming the patrol boat.

Taiwan has rejected the apology. It has recalled its de facto envoy, imposed a ban on hiring Filipino workers and held military exercises in waters off the northern Philippines earlier this week.

Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay on Saturday called on Taiwan to ensure the safety of Filipino workers amid anger from Taiwanese people.

"We heard and we read in the press that Filipino workers were beaten and four were hospitalized," Vice President Binay told reporters.

"We call on the Taiwanese people to spare Filipino workers from conflicts," he added.

A Filipino man was hospitalized after being attacked by a group of young men, Taiwanese media reported.

"We also see reports that Taiwan's leaders will ensure the safety of our workers there. We hope they act on the reports," Aquino spokeswoman Abigail Valte said.

Nearly 10 million Filipinos live or work abroad, and each year send home tens of billions of dollars to help revive the Philippine economy./.

According to VOV - DT