NBI, Taiwanese probers to swap evidence

 News
Jun 072013
 
NBI, Taiwanese probers to swap evidence

By Nancy C. CarvajalPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:23 am | Saturday, June 8th, 2013 Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng’s boat, the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, is checked by Taiwanese officers after arriving at Liuqiu port in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Taiwanese boat owner Steven Liao said the damage to the Guang Ta Hsin 28 costs around NT$8 million (P11 million). AP PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday said it would not be able to complete its report on the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman last month or proceed with the filing of charges against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel involved until a counterpart Taiwanese team of investigators sends them a set of authenticated documents from the latter’s own probe of the incident. Virgilio Mendez, the NBI deputy director for regional services, told a press conference on Friday that the agency has ended its discussions with the Taiwanese probers after holding a series of meetings. “Discussions were terminated this afternoon and we agreed on some issues like exchange and clarification of evidence collected,” Mendez said. He described the meetings as “cordial and at the same time passionate”. But Mendez said the NBI report on its investigation cannot be finished until their Taiwanese counterparts send to the Manila Economic Cultural Office (Meco), the Philippines’ de facto embassy in Taipei, the results of their own investigation, complete with authenticated and translated documents constituting their evidence. Mendez said they requested for an “official English translation Read More …

Taiwanese probers back in PHL for closed-door meeting with NBI

 News
Jun 062013
 
Taiwanese probers back in PHL for closed-door meeting with NBI

Taiwanese investigators who went to the Philippines to probe the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters returned to Manila Thursday to attend a closed-door meeting with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). NBI deputy director Virgilio Mendez said the foreign probers arrived in the country Thursday morning. “Pero wala pa sila dito sa office namin. Waiting na po kami,” Mendez said. The seven-man team first went to the Philippines last May 27 for a four-day parallel investigation on the fatal shooting of the 65-year-old fisherman that caused a rift between the Philippines and Taiwan. The team inspected the Philippine vessel that confronted the victim and his fellow fishermen, who were accused of poaching in Philippine waters, and interviewed Coast Guard and Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources personnel implicated in the shooting. The team also conducted ballistics exam on the Filipino authorities’ firearms as well as viewed and obtained a copy of the video of the incident. On Wednesday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Taiwanese team would be meeting with the NBI “as  matter of courtesy” to discuss findings of their respective investigations. She said the purpose of the meeting is not to “cross-check” the findings of the two teams. De Lima cited a similar instance when the eight-man NBI team flew to Taiwan to conduct its own probe on the matter, which included inspecting the fishing vessel of the victim and getting statements from his companions. After the relatives of the victim disagreed to Read More …

NBI, Taiwan probers meet anew to discuss Balintang Channel shooting

 News
Jun 062013
 
NBI, Taiwan probers meet anew to discuss Balintang Channel shooting

By Tetch Torres-TupasINQUIRER.net 1:27 pm | Thursday, June 6th, 2013 Taiwanese investigators use a rubber boat in Manila’s South Harbor to inspect the hull of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship involved in the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman in the Balintang Channel earlier this month. The Taiwanese are here while NBI investigators are in Taiwan to make a parallel investigation. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and a team of investigators from Taiwan will meet Thursday to talk about their findings on the shooting incident in Balintang Channel last May 9 that led to the death of a Taiwanese fisherman. NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas confirmed that the Taiwanese probers arrived in the country Thursday morning to sit down with their counterparts with the NBI. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima earlier said it was the Taiwanese probers who requested the meeting. Both the Philippine and Taiwanese governments are investigating the May 9 shooting by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel of 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-Cheng. The PCG personnel have maintained that Shih-Cheng was accidentally shot at, after the Taiwanese fishing vessel refused to heed their warning shots. The meeting will not resort to any “cross-checking” of findings, De Lima added. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in Read More …

De Lima maintains boat shooting happened in PH territory

 News
Jun 032013
 
De Lima maintains boat shooting happened in PH territory

By Tetch Torres-TupasINQUIRER.net 3:27 pm | Monday, June 3rd, 2013 Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Monday maintained that the shooting of the Taiwanese fisherman last May 9 happened inside Philippine jurisdiction. “Our jurisdiction is clear—the incident happened inside our territory which is why we are conducting an investigation,” De Lima told reporters in an interview Monday. Based on the global positioning system record of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, De Lima said the incident occurred within the Balintang Channel, 43 nautical miles east of Balintang Island which is well within the Philippine territory. “Probably you should ask the Taiwanese government why they are conducting their own investigation. They probably have extra-territorial jurisdiction like if the victim is a Taiwanese or the vessel is registered under the Taiwanese name,” she said. The NBI investigators already arrived from Taiwan and are already wrapping up their investigation. On the other hand, Taiwanese probers also finished their probe after inspecting the Philippine vessel, watching the video of the incident and interviewing the Coast Guard officers who were present during the incident. The question of jurisdiction will be crucial to where the criminally liable parties in the case will be tried. The fisherman’s daughter, Hung Tzu Chien, has already filed a murder complaint against Filipino Coast Guard personnel involved in the fatal shooting. She did not name the respondents in the charges filed with the Pingtung prosecutor’s office Read More …

No special talks to help OFWs losing their jobs in Taiwan

 News
Jun 012013
 
No special talks to help OFWs losing their jobs in Taiwan

By Nancy C. CarvajalPhilippine Daily Inquirer 1:47 am | Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 Taiwanese investigators rides a rubber boat as they inspect a ship involved in the alleged shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman while they continue their probe in Manila on Tuesday, May 28, 2013. The daughter of the Taiwanese fisherman allegedly killed by Filipino coast guards filed murder charges during joint proceedings held by Taiwanese and Philippine prosecutors in Pingtung County on Tuesday. AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA MANILA, Philippines—There are no special talks to help Filipinos who are losing their jobs in Taiwan after the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards three weeks ago. Arthur Abiera, Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) representative, told a news conference on Thursday that negotiations with Taiwanese authorities involved general matters for the restoration of good relations between the Philippines and Taiwan. Labor issues are only part of the talks, he said. Taiwan froze new jobs for Filipino migrant workers and Taiwanese employers are not renewing contracts in retaliation for the shooting death of fisherman Hung Shih-chen on May 9. Many of the 87,000 Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan are affected by the retaliatory measure but Abiera said Meco could not do anything about it. “That’s the Taiwanese government’s decision,” Abiera said. “We are trying to address all issues. It’s sad that they will be affected.” Why us? “Why should we suffer for what other Filipinos had done?” asked Maryanne, a Filipino migrant worker in Taiwan who asked that her last Read More …

Watching video, Taiwan probers weep

 News
May 302013
 
Watching video, Taiwan probers weep

By Nancy C. CarvajalPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:53 am | Friday, May 31st, 2013 Taiwanese investigators look at a portion of a ship involved in the alleged shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman as they ride a rubber boat with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) members on Tuesday May 28, 2013. They reportedly became emotional while watching a video of the encounter between the PCG and a Taiwanese fishing vessel in the waters off the northern Philippines that resulted in the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman. AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA MANILA, Philippines—Taiwanese investigators in Manila reportedly became emotional while watching a video of the encounter between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and a Taiwanese fishing vessel in the waters off the northern Philippines that resulted in the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman. “Some of them cried and others uttered ‘it’s excessive,’” said the source who asked not to be named for lack of authority to speak on the parallel probe of the May 9 incident by Taiwanese and Philippine investigators working in both Taipei and Manila. The source said several PCG personnel were shown in the video shooting at the Taiwanese vessel, the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28. Fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65, was killed. The source described the video as close to two hours and showing the earlier activities of the boat, the MCS-3001, jointly manned by the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The footage, taken by one of the PCG personnel, showed that the Taiwanese fishing Read More …

Slug cross-matching will determine fisherman's killer – Taiwan prosecutor

 News
May 302013
 
Slug cross-matching will determine fisherman's killer - Taiwan prosecutor

The National Bureau of Investigation and the Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau will compare slugs taken from the body of the Taiwanese fisherman who was shot and killed May 9, with tests slugs taken from the confiscated weapons of Philippine Coast Guard sailors involved in the shooting. Taiwan’s Pingtung district attorney, Chih-Ming Hsieh, explained in an interview aired over GMA 7’s “24 Oras”, “It is of paramount importance to find out who shot the victim to death and do a cross match and have a better picture of that fact.” NBI investigators are set to fly back to the Philippines on Friday with the evidence they had gathered in Taiwan. The information and evidence will be used in the final report they will draft, as well as possible recommendations, on the May 9 shooting. Meanwhile, overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan feared the repercussions if the NBI investigation results did not favor the Taiwanese nor match the parallel investigation of the Taiwanese Criminal Investigation Bureau. As things stood, OFWs were still being randomly attacked by irate Taiwanese. Two Filipino workers, identified only as Eric and Melchor, recalled how two Taiwanese men on a motorcycle suddenly attacked them while they were bicycling home. “Napasigaw ako nung tumama yung helmet niya sa likod ko,” said Melchor, “Sobrang sakit talaga.” “Hindi muna kami lumalabas masyado para di mapaginitan,” he added. “Sana naman ay matapos na agad ang imbestigasyon at isipin din ang kapakanan naming mga OFWs dito sa taiwan,” worried Eric. — DVM, GMA News

PH, Taiwan probers finish fact-finding on death of Taiwanese fisherman

 News
May 302013
 
PH, Taiwan probers finish fact-finding on death of Taiwanese fisherman

By Nancy C. CarvajalPhilippine Daily Inquirer 12:56 am | Friday, May 31st, 2013 Taiwanese investigators rides a rubber boat as they inspect a ship involved in the alleged shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman while they continue their probe in Manila on Tuesday, May 28, 2013. They have completed their investigation into the death of the fisherman off Balintang Island in northern Philippines, with the evidence collected by the National Bureau of Investigation, Yang Wan-Li, head of the delegation, said on Thursday night. AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA MANILA, Philippines—Taiwanese investigators have completed their investigation into the death of a Taiwanese fisherman off Balintang Island in northern Philippines, with the evidence collected by the National Bureau of Investigation, Yang Wan-Li, head of the delegation, said on Thursday night. In a late night joint press conference with the NBI, the Taiwanese team also expressed satisfaction with the assistance given to them during the entire investigation. The Taiwanese team is returning to Taiwan on Friday and an NBI team that has also done its cooperative investigation in Taiwan is expected to arrive in Manila in the afternoon. NBI director Nonnatus Rojas said they made all evidence they gathered available to the Taiwanese investigators. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: death of a Taiwanese fisherman , Read More …

Taiwan scraps basketball invite to Philippines amid row

 News
May 282013
 
Taiwan scraps basketball invite to Philippines amid row

Our govt should pull-out all the OFWs in Taiwan… move them to Malaysia or any other country. Let’s see whose e****my will collapse… our govt should provide them (OFWs) with livelihood programs, train them through TESDA… And let’s not send OFWs to both China and Taiwan… those countries are the worst criminal on earth… especially in Piracy. US govt are so dumb and stupid they invested in China, due to low manpower cost. Now, China are stealing all those technology from them through reverse engineering. And they became a military superpower. I just saw on TV how the Chinese were able to steal even the US fighter planes technology and they were able to copy the US’s war planes. China will beat the US not in WAR, but on e****mic warfare… they have all the US monetary (money) stashed in their country. And they are tra****ing Euro money not US dollar. I****S will start to make threats against them, they will release all the US dollar and it will dropped the value o****S dollar into nothing (like a bank-run). The US knows it, that’s why they are so scared sh*t of China.

De Lima hopes swap of PH-Taiwan probers will put closure to boat shooting

 News
May 272013
 
De Lima hopes swap of PH-Taiwan probers will put closure to boat shooting

By Tetch Torres-Tupas INQUIRER.net 5:21 pm | Monday, May 27th, 2013 Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines-Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Monday said she hopes that the parallel investigation conducted by the Philippines and Taiwan will repair the strained relations between Manila and Taipei. “With the mutual or reciprocal visits of the Philippines and Taiwanese teams, it is expected that their respective separate investigations will be concluded soon and hopefully put closure to the factual issues surrounding the incident,” De Lima said in a statement. “What is being demonstrated is the spirit of cooperation and openness between Philippines and Taiwanese authorities which can contribute to a significant degree, to the restoration of normalcy of PH-Taiwan relations,” she added. With the death of fisherman Hung Shih-cheng last May 9, the country’s economic-cultural relation with Taiwan was strained, putting at risk the Filipino workers in Taiwan. The NBI team is expected to stay in Taiwan for three days to inspect the fishing vessel and interview its crew but subject to adjustment as needed, said NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas. On the other hand, Taiwanese probers are also in the country to conduct ballistic examination and inspect the vessel used by the Philippine Coast Guard. The swap of teams of investigators followed weeks of acrimony over the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman. A team of eight Philippine officials including experts from the NBI flew to the island and were promptly whisked away upon arrival at Taoyuan airport in the Read More …

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