A Philippine coastguard is seen laughing while trying to fire a rifle at a fleeing Taiwanese fishing boat, in a video of the incident that left one man dead and sparked a major diplomatic row.
In the 40-minute video, coastguard officers can be seen firing M-14 rifles and a mounted automatic machine gun at the vessel when it is a few hundred metres away and trying to escape.
The video was taken by one of the Filipino crewmen and released by the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation, which recommended last week that homicide charges be filed against eight coastguards.
A 65-year-old Taiwanese fishermen, one of four people on board the small vessel, was killed in the May 9 incident. It occurred in waters off the northern Philippines that Taiwan also claims as part of its economic zone.
The coastguard said the Taiwanese vessel was fishing illegally and they were forced to fire in self-defence as it tried to ram them.
But after Taiwan protested and imposed economic sanctions, the Philippine government apologised last week.
The video showed the Taiwanese crew initially appeared to be giving up, allowing the coastguard vessel to come alongside their boat so it could be boarded.
But as the Filipinos prepared a rope to tie the two vessels together, the Taiwanese boat reversed, then sped away with the Philippine vessel in pursuit.
As the coastguard vessel closed in on the Taiwanese boat to what appeared to be about 100 metres, Filipino voices could be heard yelling: “Shoot the engine”.
Gunshots could then be heard in the background and bullets were seen hitting the water as the two vessels bounced across the waves for many minutes.
One coastguard tried to fire his rifle at the Taiwanese boat, then laughed and smiled as the gun jammed. Others were seen crouching or propping each other up to steady their aim as the Taiwanese vessel gained distance.
Eventually the fishing boat got too far away, leaving the coastguard men to watch with rifles still in hand.
The NBI later said they found 108 spent shells from bullets fired during the incident, with 45 bullet holes on the Taiwanese fishing vessel.
NBI spokesman Cecilio Zamora said Tuesday the video disproved coastguard officials’ original accounts that their men only fired back in self-defence.
“The defence of the coastguard is they were threatened when (the Taiwanese boat) tried to ram them. But we can see it only backed up and then tried to escape,” he told AFP.
Coastguard chief Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena declined to comment on the video and the NBI’s findings.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Tuesday she cleared the public release of the video. AFP obtained a copy of the video on Tuesday. - AFP
Taiwan said Wednesday it would work to lift sanctions slapped on Manila after Philippine Justice Department investigators recommended homicide charges against eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel for the killing of a Taiwan fisherman in May.
The move marks the end of months of strained ties, with both sides welcoming the end of the tension, analysts said.
The Philippine Justice Department's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nonnatus Rojas Wednesday announced at a press conference their investigation report on the fisherman's death.
Rojas told reporters that "the NBI report recommends that criminal charges of homicide be filed against these eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel."
If convicted, the eight could face 12 to 20 years in jail for homicide, Rojas said.
Prosecutors in Taiwan Wednesday also announced their own homicide charges against the eight Filipinos.
The Philippine Coast Guard shot dead Taiwan fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65, on May 9 in waters southeast of the southernmost tip of Taiwan after the Philippine ship chased the vessel for about one hour.
The island put sanctions on Manila by freezing the hiring of Filipino workers and issued a red travel alert on the country.
But Philippine President Benigno Aquino III declined to respond to Taiwan's demand and the Philippine Coast Guard initially claimed that they were forced to fire at the fishing boat when it tried to ram their vessel.
Rojas said Wednesday that the NBI found through its investigation that the coast guard's use of "deadly force" against the fishing boat had "no conclusive justification" as there was "no categorical proof" that it posed "an imminent or grave threat."
Zhu Zhenming, a deputy director of the Southeast Asia Research Institute affiliated with the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Manila wanted to end its spat with Taiwan to avoid confronting both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
"The Philippines is still in a dispute with the Chinese mainland in the South China Sea. If Manila can't end the row with Taiwan, it is set to face more pressure. And cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan is the last scenario it hopes to see," he said.
The move marks the end of months of strained ties, with both sides welcoming the end of the tension, analysts said.
The Philippine Justice Department's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nonnatus Rojas Wednesday announced at a press conference their investigation report on the fisherman's death.
Rojas told reporters that "the NBI report recommends that criminal charges of homicide be filed against these eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel."
If convicted, the eight could face 12 to 20 years in jail for homicide, Rojas said.
Prosecutors in Taiwan Wednesday also announced their own homicide charges against the eight Filipinos.
The Philippine Coast Guard shot dead Taiwan fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65, on May 9 in waters southeast of the southernmost tip of Taiwan after the Philippine ship chased the vessel for about one hour.
The island put sanctions on Manila by freezing the hiring of Filipino workers and issued a red travel alert on the country.
But Philippine President Benigno Aquino III declined to respond to Taiwan's demand and the Philippine Coast Guard initially claimed that they were forced to fire at the fishing boat when it tried to ram their vessel.
Rojas said Wednesday that the NBI found through its investigation that the coast guard's use of "deadly force" against the fishing boat had "no conclusive justification" as there was "no categorical proof" that it posed "an imminent or grave threat."
Zhu Zhenming, a deputy director of the Southeast Asia Research Institute affiliated with the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Manila wanted to end its spat with Taiwan to avoid confronting both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
"The Philippines is still in a dispute with the Chinese mainland in the South China Sea. If Manila can't end the row with Taiwan, it is set to face more pressure. And cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan is the last scenario it hopes to see," he said.
Zhu said Taiwan also does not want to see the row escalate.
"Taiwan also realizes that due to its special international status, it will be difficult to seek a solution to its row with Manila at the international level," Zhu added.
"Taiwan also realizes that due to its special international status, it will be difficult to seek a solution to its row with Manila at the international level," Zhu added.
Source - Globaltimes
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