Philippine coastguards face homicide charges over death of Taiwan fisherman
Philippine Justice Department investigators said on Wednesday they were recommending homicide charges against eight Filipino coastguard personnel for the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman in May.
Philippine authorities said yesterday they had recommended homicide charges against eight coastguards for the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters.
Taiwan's foreign ministry welcomed the move as a "constructive response" in a dispute that severely strained relations, and said it would recommend that the island's government lift sanctions against Manila.
The Philippine Justice Department announcement follows weeks of tensions between Taipei and Manila, after Philippine coastguard chiefs initially insisted the fishing vessel had tried to ram the coastguard boat and their personnel had fired in self-defence.
"The NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) report recommends that criminal charges of homicide be filed against these eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel," said NBI head Nonnatus Rojas.
Commanding officer Arnold dela Cruz and seaman first class Edrano Aguila, who was found to have fired the M14 rifle that killed the fisherman, are among those whom the report recommends should be charged.
However, since all eight coastguards admitted firing their guns, they would all face the same charge under the principle that they acted in "conspiracy", Rojas said.