Hope this does not escalate into a major incident and Pnoy won't whitewash it like the Quirino Grandstand debacle...dami pa naman OFWs sa Taiwan.

By: Abigail Kwok,

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATE - 12:03 p.m.) The Philippine Coast Guard on Friday admitted responsibility for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman off the coast of Batanes the day before, but said its personnel acted in self-defense when the foreign fishing vessel attempted to ram one of its ships.

A report by Radio Station DZMM said PCG commandant Admiral Rodolfo Isorena has ordered a thorough investigation of the incident in which Taiwanese fisherman as Hung Shih-Cheng, 65, died.

The report said the Coast Guard ship BFAR MCS 3001 fired at the fishing vessel "Guang Ta Hsin 28" which had a crew of three Taiwanese and an Indonesian some 164 nautical miles off Balintang Channel.

The PCG ship was attempting to accost the Guang Ta Hsin 28 and two other Taiwanese vessels.

However, the Guang Ta Hsin 28 reportedly headed for the PCG vessel to ram it, prompting its crew to open fire.

Earlier, Chinese media reported the incident involved the Philippine Navy.

The Navy denied any involvement and said all vessels of Naval Forces Northern Luzon were in port at Subic or in Sual, Pangasinan.

"The Philippine Navy denies any involvement in, much as we were saddened by, the news about an incident where a Taiwanese fisherman was reportedly shot and the wound led to his death," Navy spokesman on the West Philippine Sea, Colonel Edgard Arevalo, said.

A report run by the Chinese news agency Xinhua, quoted Tsay Tzu-yaw, deputy head of Taiwan's fishery administration, as saying a Philippine military ship opened fire on the fishing boat some 180 nautical miles off Erluanbi, the southernmost tip of Taiwan.

The Xinhua report also said the Filipino ship continued to chase and fire at the fleeing Taiwanese vessel, which sustained heavy damage.

“We strongly protest and condemn that a Philippine government boat attacked our fishing boat and demand the Philippines formally apologize, apprehend the murderer and compensate,” a statement from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Asked about the report, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said: "We cannot confirm it. We will check that."

The Philippine Navy on Friday denied reports in Chinese media that its personnel killed a Taiwanese fisherman Thursday morning.

The Philippines and Taiwan, along with Brunei, China and Malaysia, have conflicting claims to parts of the South China Sea.

China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, although Beijing claims the island. The Philippines has no diplomatic ties with Taiwan but maintains economic and cultural links. (with a report from Jaime Sinapit, InterAksyon.com and Agence France-Presse)