Coast Guard admits killing Taiwanese fisherman, claims self-defense

[Monseratto]

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)

[Altis6453]

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.

If the PCG's version of the events were true, then it had every right to fire upon the fishing vessel in self defense.

[Monseratto]

Yung mga comments sa FB shows a lot of ignorants who couldn't tell the difference between ROC Taiwan and PROC...

[Monseratto]

Hmm...instead of calling for reinforcement, the PCG apparently hightailed and left the area. Is that proper procedure??? And it took quite sometime for the Philippines goverment to report the incident. The publicity hungry DFA seemed to not know what happened...Something fishy...

Balilo said the 30-meter (100-foot) coast guard vessel initially saw two fishing vessels and tried to approach them. He said the coastguard crew fired at the smaller of the two vessels after it tried to ram the Filipino boat.

“They fired at the machinery to disable it. They were able to disable the vessel although they were not aware at the time that somebody had been hit,” he said.

Balilo said the coast guard quickly left the area after it saw a third vessel, “a big white ship”, come into view.

“Our people felt threatened so they left the area,” he said.

Hung Yu-chih, the captain of the boat who is also the dead man’s son, told the China Times that Philippine gunmen fired several shots at them.
He said one of the shots hit the fuel tank of the vessel, which had only four people on board.

A separate report on Taipei Times said the vessel was operating at around 164 nautical miles (304 km) southeast of Oluanpi in Pingtung County.

It quoted the Coast Guard as saying a 2,000-ton ship equipped with an automatic cannon and two 50mm machine guns had been dispatched, which arrived at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The vessel was to accompany the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28 as it waits for a tow back to port Friday.

Read more: Philippines admits to shooting at Taiwan boat | Inquirer Global Nation
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[roninblade]

Hmm...instead of calling for reinforcement, the PCG apparently hightailed and left the area. Is that proper procedure??? And it took quite sometime for the Philippines goverment to report the incident. The publicity hungry DFA seemed to not know what happened...Something fishy...

Read more: Philippines admits to shooting at Taiwan boat | Inquirer Global Nation
Follow us: *inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

fscking noobs is what they are.

[Manilablock]

meron pambili ng bala ang coast guard pero walang pambili ng video camera para i-record ung mga pangyayari.

kasi kung meron silang video na babanggain nga sila ng nung maliit na barko at in self-defence kaya sila nag open fire, valid reason ung ginawa nila.

[wowiesy]

If the PCG's version of the events were true, then it had every right to fire upon the fishing vessel in self defense.

But sa ganitong usapan,,, the best evidence is kung maybtracking ba bawat ship like sa airplanes para ma track per second yung location ng mga ships to have an objective view ano ba talaga nanagyari... If we base on testimony alone... Mahirap...

[beni23]

Kung hinabol pa niya at pinutukan, then he cannot claim self defense.

[Monseratto]

What got me wondering is why the PCG left the area and didn't call for reinforcement. The fact that the Taiwanese were able to bring the damaged boat into tow and back to Taiwan w/o interferance. And for the Taiwanese government to lodge a complaint before the PNoy goverment knew it is baffling... inamin na lang after na buking.

[Monseratto]

PNoy is too busy with the elections...go away.

The government of Taiwan has given the Philippines until Wednesday to apologise for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman whose vessel was fired on by the Philippine coastguard.

Taiwan is also demanding compensation and the arrest of those responsible.

It has warned the Philippines of diplomatic and economic measures if it does not respond positively.

The Philippine coastguard acknowledged that it had fired at the boat to "disable" its machinery.

It says that it was acting in self-defence.

Fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65, was shot dead on Thursday when the coastguard vessel opened fire on his boat.

He was in waters south-east of Taiwan and north of the Philippines, an area considered by both countries to be their exclusive economic zone.

Hours after his remains and vessel were returned to Taiwan, the president's office and the foreign ministry issued a series of demands to the Philippines.

They asked for a formal apology, the speeding up of the investigation into his death, punishment of the perpetrators, the payment of compensation to the fisherman's family and talks over fishing rights in the disputed area.

Taiwan also threatened to send the Philippines' representative back to Manila if its neighbour does not respond within 72-hours.

The BBC's Cindy Sui in Taiwan says that while the Philippines' representative to Taiwan has expressed sympathy and condolences to the victim's family, the Philippines has refused to apologise, pending the investigation.

Officials in Manila have said that their initial findings suggest that the coast guard acted in self-defence and that fishing boat tried to ram into the coastguard vessel.

The three surviving fishermen on board the vessel, including Mr Hung's son and son-in-law, have disputed this account.

After inspecting the boat, Taiwanese officials also said they did not find this explanation credible as there were 52 bullet holes in the boat and the fishermen were unarmed.

"This is very brutal and cold-blooded," Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said on Saturday, warning that his country would consider sanctions against the Philippines amid widespread public anger towards Manila over the shooting.

Taiwanese officials say that the coastguard chased the boat for some time and did not offer help to the distressed vessel after it was damaged by the shooting.

It argues that opening fire on an unarmed fishing boat violated international law.

Tens of thousands of Filipino migrant labourers work in Taiwan's manufacturing sectors and homes.

[Monseratto]

Okay... Taiwan has deployed their warships too... Padalhin natin yung bayaning PCG.

TAIPEI – Taiwan Sunday dispatched four coastguard and naval vessels to beef up patrols in waters near the Philippines following public outrage over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coastguards.

“The government is determined to protect our fishermen,” cabinet spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen said in a statement as a Lafayette-class naval frigate and coastguard vessels set sail for the area where the 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman was killed Thursday.

The move came shortly after authorities issued a strongly-worded statement late Saturday night demanding Manila apologize to Taiwan and compensate the family of the dead man.

In its statement, Taiwan also asked the Philippine authorities to bring to justice the coastguards responsible and start negotiating with Taipei on a proposed fishery agreement.

“If the Filipino government fails to respond in a positive manner within 72 hours, the hiring of Philippine workers will be frozen,” presidential office spokeswoman Lee Chia-fei warned.

Read more: Taiwan beefs up patrols in waters near Philippines | Inquirer Global Nation
Follow us: *inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

[ClaNker]

Nangangamoy Akbayan/Singkit tong thread na to.

Kasalanan ni PNoy yan! :hysterical:

[cpsolt]

parang PCG pa yata ang dapat i-modernize at hindi navy. hmmmm...

[Phoenix67]

What got me wondering is why the PCG left the area and didn't call for reinforcement. The fact that the Taiwanese were able to bring the damaged boat into tow and back to Taiwan w/o interferance. And for the Taiwanese government to lodge a complaint before the PNoy goverment knew it is baffling... inamin na lang after na buking.

Kulang ang gasolina nila to go back sa dagat.

[Monseratto]

Crisis avoided... *blink**blink* Our OFWs first...!

Palace 'expresses sorrow' for Taiwanese fisherman's death | News | GMA News Online

Palace 'expresses sorrow' for Taiwanese fisherman's death
May 12, 2013 7:00pm


Malacañang on Sunday expressed "regret" over the death of a 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman in a shooting incident off disputed waters last Thursday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Manila Economic and Cultural Office representative Antonio Basilio already visited the family of the victim and "offered his apologies on behalf of the Philippine government."

"As the Philippine Coast Guard has stated, we express our heartfelt sorrow on the unfortunate situation that occurred during one of the anti-illegal fishing patrols conducted by a Philippine fishery law enforcement vessel (MCS 3001) within the maritime jurisdiction (waters off the Batanes group of islands) of the Philippines on the morning of May 9, which tragically resulted in the death of a fisherman from one of the fishing vessels reportedly poaching in the area," a Malacañang statement quoted her as saying.

Taiwan warned it will suspend the importation of Philippine labor, recall its representative in Manila, and ask the Philippine envoy in Taiwan to return to his home country if there is no favorable response by Tuesday.

The labor bureau estimates there are 87,000 Filipino laborers in Taiwan, most of whom work in the manufacturing sector. The others are mainly domestic caretakers, the CNA report said.

Meanwhile, the CNA report said some Philippine workers in Taiwan voiced sympathy for Hung's family, with some in favor of an apology by the Philippines.

Valte said the investigation into the incident has started with the arrival of the commander of MCS 3001. She added the vessel's commander and his crew "have been relieved of their duties.”

“Moving forward, relevant agencies will look into ways to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future,” she said.

Ready for talks

Meanwhile, Taiwan on Sunday said it is ready to start fisheries talks with the Philippines.

Fisheries Agency Director-General James Sha said the negotiations can begin at any time, according to a report by Taiwan's Central News Agency.

Deputy Director-General Tsai Jih-yao added Taiwan had long been interested in negotiating a fisheries agreement with the Philippines but Manila had been reluctant.

Presently, both sides have set up a working group to deal with fishing disputes involving fishermen from both sides.

The CNA report said the group was formed under a memorandum of understanding on fisheries and agriculture cooperation signed by both sides in 2005. — BM/HS, GMA News

[yebo]

yeah right! taiwan has more to lose if it freezes hiring ofws. who will they get instead? mainlanders? haha! maybe they can hire indians and bangladeshis instead. go ahead punk, make my day! stop hiring pinoys my a$$!

[Monseratto]

yeah right! taiwan has more to lose if it freezes hiring ofws. who will they get instead? mainlanders? haha! maybe they can hire indians and bangladeshis instead. go ahead punk, make my day! stop hiring pinoys my a$$!

If only our government allowed more investments to enter our country so that there are jobs, rather than let them work abroad and be blackmailed later (Singapore,Saudi...Taiwan). So go vote for open minded politicians and not political jokes...hihihi.

[crazy_boy]

A friend just told me that Taiwanese are starting to boycott philippine products na.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Monseratto]

Hope this cools down a bit...

Philippines apologizes to Taiwan over fisherman's death
By: Benjamin Yeh, Agence France-Presse
May 15, 2013 3:17 AM

TAIPEI - The Philippines on Wednesday apologized to Taiwan after coastguards shot dead a Taiwanese fisherman sparking tensions that saw Taipei threaten a naval exercise near Philippine waters.

Taiwan foreign minister David Lin told reporters that "the Philippines has voiced deep regret and apology for the incident" after a closed-door meeting with Antonio Basilio, the de facto Philippine ambassador to Taipei.

The Philippine government will send a special envoy to Taiwan to convey his apologies and condolences to the family of 65-year-old fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, who was shot dead on Thursday, Basilio said.

"Chairman (Amadeo) Perez will repeat his deep regret and apology from the people of the Philippines to the people of Taiwan and the family of Mr. Hung for the grief and suffering from his death," Basilio said, adding that the Philippines would provide "financial assistance" to the victim's family.

Perez Jr. is chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) that represents the Philippines' interest in Taiwan.

Taiwan had demanded an apology by midnight Tuesday (1600 GMT), saying that otherwise it would conduct a naval drill in waters near the Philippines. It had also threatened to freeze the sending of Philippine workers to the island.

According to Lin, the two sides agreed to jointly launch an investigation into the incident, which sparked outrage in Taiwan and comes at a time of heightened tensions around the region over rival claims to the nearby South China Sea.

Lin said Taiwanese investigators would fly to Manila Thursday while their Filipino counterparts travel to Taiwan to inspect the fishing vessel and interview three witnesses who were on the boat at the time of the incident.

The two sides also agreed to open fishery talks "as soon as possible" so as to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency had said the naval exercise would be held Thursday, involving a Kidd-class destroyer, a Perry-class frigate and three coastguard frigates. A number of fighter jets would also be involved in the drill, which would for the first time simulate the Philippines as the enemy.

"The Philippines has made some positive reactions towards our demand," Lin said when asked if his government would still consider sanctions against Manila, adding that the pledges from the Philippine government would need to be further evaluated.

It was not clear from his remarks whether the naval drill would still go ahead.

[Monseratto]

A friend just told me that Taiwanese are starting to boycott philippine products na.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

We can boycott HTC phones and Apple products. Foxconn is the Taiwanese company that makes the IPhone and IPad...