Taiwan, PH swap shooting probe investigators

 News
May 272013
 

Agence France-Presse 5:16 pm | Monday, May 27th, 2013 TAIPEI — Taiwan and the Philippines swapped teams of investigators Monday following weeks of acrimony over the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman. A team of eight Philippine officials including experts from the National Bureau of Investigation flew to the island and were promptly whisked away upon arrival at Taoyuan airport in the north. A Taiwanese team of experts also flew to the Philippines. Both teams will review how 65-year-old Hung Shih-cheng was shot dead by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on 9 May, an incident which has sharply raised tensions between Manila and Taipei and prompted economic sanctions by Taiwan. “The (Philippine) visitors will have a look at the autopsy report on Hung Shih-cheng this afternoon,” a spokesman for Taiwan’s justice ministry told AFP. Before leaving on Friday, the Filipino team will also inspect evidence from local prosecutors, visit the fishing boat, review voyage data records onboard the vessel and inspect ballistic evidence, the spokesman said. Taiwan said its team in the Philippines would visit the coastguard vessel, inspect the guns used to fire on the vessel and review video footage. A spokesman for the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation confirmed the Taiwanese team had arrived but would not comment on what they were doing or how long they would stay. The Philippines has claimed that the fishing boat intruded into its waters and that coastguards were forced to open fire when it tried to ram their vessel. The Taiwanese Read More …

PH to show coast guard video of shooting to Taiwan prosecutors

 News
May 272013
 
PH to show coast guard video of shooting to Taiwan prosecutors

By Tetch Torres-Tupas INQUIRER.net 2:42 pm | Monday, May 27th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines-The Philippine government has agreed to show to Taiwanese prosecutors the video of the Philippine Coast Guard that recorded the shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat that killed a Taiwanese fisherman in the Balintang channel. “Everything that is with us will be offered to the Taiwanese investigators,” National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Virgilio Mendez told reporters Monday. The first batch of Taiwanese probers arrived in the country a few hours after NBI investigators left for Taiwan. On its first day, Mendez said the investigators will conduct ballistics examination, then an inspection of the vessel. “And then we will discuss what will happen on the third day,” Mendez said adding that part of the discussion will be the possible access to Coast Guard personnel involved in the incident. The Taiwanese probers, meanwhile, said their activity will be based on reciprocity. “What we offered to the Philippine team in Taiwan, they will offer the same to us,” the Taiwanese investigator said. The eight-man team from the NBI tasked to conduct an investigation into the Philippine Coast Guard’s shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat has arrived in Taiwan Monday morning. Security was tight at the Taoyuan International Airport when the team of investigators arrived at past 10 a.m. on board Philippine Airlines flight PR896. The NBI team will be meeting with officials from the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco), Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco), and the Taiwanese Ministry Read More …

Palace: No report yet on Coast Guard negligence in May 9 incident

 News
May 252013
 
Palace: No report yet on Coast Guard negligence in May 9 incident

Malacañang on Saturday said it has not received any report that Philippine Coast Guard personnel could be held liable in an encounter in disputed waters that killed a Taiwanese fisherman last May 9. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte reiterated the government’s call to the public to wait for the final result of the probe, after a newspaper reported on the supposed liability of the Coast Guard. “Wala pang isinusumite, mabuti hintayin natin ang final na result bago pag-usapan ang sinasabing detalye,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. A 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman was killed in the incident, prompting Taiwan to freeze the hiring of Filipino workers and discourage its residents from traveling to the Philippines. On Saturday, a report on The Philippine Star quoted a source that said initial findings may indicate criminal negligence by the Philippine Coast Guard personnel involved. It said its source indicated Coast Guard personnel in the incident may face criminal and administrative charges for possible violations of rules of engagement, excessive use of force, and neglect of duty. But the Coast Guard initially said its men fired on the Taiwanese boat as it was about to ram the Philippine vessel. Meanwhile, Valte reiterated President Benigno Aquino’s  stance that a fisheries agreement with Taiwan may have to wait until after the present row is settled. A fisheries agreement had been one of Taiwan’s demands following the May 9 incident. “I think the president has spoken very clearly about the proposed fisheries agreement, he had actually mentioned it Read More …

Militants 'picket' TECO office in Makati, seek early resolution to row

 News
May 212013
 
Militants 'picket' TECO office in Makati, seek early resolution to row

Militant groups on Wednesday picketed the office of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Makati City to call for an early resolution to the row stemming from the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters last May 9. The militants, who gathered near the RCBC Tower where the MECO office is located, also voiced sympathies to the relatives of the slain fisherman, radio dzBB’s Mao dela Cruz reported. No violent confrontation took place between the militants and police, the report said. During their picket, the militants asked the Philippine and Taiwan governments to resolve their row soonest, and reminded Taiwan that overseas Filipino workers are not their enemy. They also asked the Philippine government to take steps to protect OFWs in Taiwan. Killed in the May 9 incident was fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65. His death prompted Taiwan to freeze the hiring of new Filipino workers and to issue a travel alert discouraging travel to the Philippines.  Since the May 9 incident, some Filipinos in Taiwan reported being harassed or injured by Taiwanese angry over the fisherman’s death.  Report: PHL ready to pay NT$1-M to Taiwanese fisherman’s kin The Philippines is ready to pay NT$1 million (P1.38 million) to the family of a Taiwanese fisherman shot dead in an encounter off disputed waters last May 9, the head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office said late Tuesday. But MECO head Amadeo Perez Jr. told Taiwan’s Central News Agency it is still not clear at this time if the Read More …

Taipei releases satellite record, rejecting Manila’s claim

 News
May 212013
 

Agence France-Presse 9:13 pm | Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 TAIPEI — Taiwan on Tuesday released a satellite record of the route of a fishing boat fired on by Philippine coastguards, flatly rejecting Manila’s allegations that the boat intruded into Philippine waters. The killing of crew member Hung Shih-cheng, 65, sparked outrage in Taiwan, which has announced a series of economic sanctions against the Philippines. Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency said the voyage data recorder from the fishing boat showed it was not in Philippine waters when it came under fire on May 9. “The satellite records indicated that the Guang Ta Hsin 28 had been fishing within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone throughout,” the agency’s deputy chief Tsay Tzu-yaw told AFP. The satellite record showed that the ship was positioned at 122 degrees and 55 minutes east and 19 degrees and 59 minutes north when it was attacked at 10:12 am. The economic zones claimed by each country overlap. “Since the Philippine authorities repeatedly alleged that the fishing boat had intruded into their waters, then why not make public the video records they claim they have taken from the coastguard boat?” Tsay said. The Philippines said Monday it would make “coordinated efforts” with Taiwan to look into the incident. Its coastguards claimed that the fishing boat intruded into Philippine waters and tried to ram their vessel, forcing them to open fire. Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou has termed the killing “cold-blooded murder” based on an initial inquiry by Taiwan, which showed that the boat Read More …

Taiwan condemns PHL attack on fishing boat, meets PCG chief

 News
May 092013
 
Taiwan condemns PHL attack on fishing boat, meets PCG chief

Taiwan on Thursday demanded an apology from the Philippine government as it condemned the shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat by a Philippine vessel. At least one fisherman was reported dead in the incident. A report on Taiwan’s Central News Agency said Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the shooting came from an “official Philippine ship.” Earlier, Beijing-based Xinhua News Agency reported on its website Xinhua.net that  a Philippine Navy ship fired upon the fishing vessel in seas south of Taiwan. Quoting the foreign ministry, the CNA report identified the slain fisherman as Hung Shih-cheng, 65, adding the shooting occurred Thursday morning. It said the Taiwanese boat “Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28” was some 170 nautical miles off the southern coast of Taiwan at the time, and was seriously damaged. Aside from an apology, Taiwan demanded that the Philippine government identify those responsible and make compensation for the losses. The CNA report noted there had been past incidents where Taiwanese fishermen operating in the area were arrested and detained by Philippine authorities. But it said there had been few reports of shooting. Quoting Taiwan’s representative to the Philippines Raymond Wang, who met with Philippine Coast Guard head Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena, the Philippines found one of its ships shot the Taiwanese fishing boat. It said the type of vessel deployed by the Philippines and the weapons used were not immediately known. A separate report on Taipei Times said the vessel was operating at around 164 nautical miles (304 km) southeast Read More …

PHL Navy ship fires upon Taiwan fishing boat, one  dead – report

 News
May 092013
 
PHL Navy ship fires upon Taiwan fishing boat, one  dead - report

Beijing-based Xinhua News Agency reported on its website Xinhua.net that a Taiwanese fisherman died Thursday morning after a Philippine Navy ship fired upon a fishing vessel in seas south of Taiwan. Xinhua said the deputy head of Taiwan’s fishery administration, Tsay Tzu-yaw, disclosed details of the incident. GMA News Online contacted the Philippine Navy for comment or confirmation, but no authorized officer was available as of posting time. Citing Taiwanese media reports, Xinhua said the Filipino ship dealt severe damage to the fishing boat while chasing it for an hour “after killing the fisherman” in waters 180 nautical miles southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan.  — DVM/ELR, GMA News

Taiwan ‘strongly’ protests to Philippines over fisherman’s death

 News
May 092013
 
Taiwan ‘strongly’ protests to Philippines over fisherman’s death

Agence France-Presse 1:41 am | Friday, May 10th, 2013 TAIPEI—Taiwan demanded compensation from the Philippines Thursday over the killing of a crew member of a Taiwanese fishing trawler that allegedly came under fire from a Philippine government boat. The Guang Ta Hsin 28 fishing vessel carrying four crew—three Taiwanese and one Indonesian—was fired on early Thursday some 164 nautical miles off the southernmost tip of the island, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said. The incident killed 65-year-old Hung Shih-cheng and badly damaged the vessel, prompting Taiwan’s coastguard to dispatch a ship to its rescue, the ministry said. “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,” it said in a statement. The ministry did not specify what type of a government boat it was, while Taiwan’s coastguard said it was trying to verify some reports claiming that it was a Philippine navy vessel. Taiwan has ruled itself since 1949, but China still considers the island part of its territory. The Philippines, like most countries, officially recognizes China over Taiwan but maintains trade ties with the island. 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: Taiwan-Philippines-crime-fishing Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates Read More …

Purchases of capital, consumer goods push PHL imports growth in December 2012

 Entertainment
Feb 282013
 
Purchases of capital, consumer goods push PHL imports growth in December 2012

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) logo Growth in payments for capital goods, consumer goods, raw materials, and intermediate goods propelled Philippine merchandise imports to a 13.2-percent year-on-year increase in December 2012, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). “The improvement in imports performance during the period represents a rebound in the value of imports from a 6.4 percent contraction a year ago and partly reflects the favorable sentiments of both businesses and consumers,” said Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning Arsenio M. Balisacan. The country’s merchandise imports amounted to $4.6 billion in December 2012, up from the $4.6 billion during the same month in 2011. Imported capital goods rose by 40.2 percent to $1.8 billion from $1.3 billion from a year ago due to higher payments for aircrafts, ships, and boats (564.7%), telecommunications equipment and electrical machineries (10.0%), and power generating and specialized machines (15.9%). The increase in imports of aircrafts, ships, and boats is partly attributed to aircraft purchases of Cebu Pacific. Also, consumer goods grew by 38.2 percent to $688.3 million in December 2012 from $497.9 million from the same month in 2011. This was due to higher payments for both durable (50.4%) and non-durable (28.1%) consumer products. “The higher receipts from imported consumer goods were due in part to the more favorable sentiments of consumers, specifically towards durable items,” said Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General. Imports of raw materials and intermediate goods, meanwhile, also increased by 6.1 percent as values of both imported unprocessed raw Read More …

Travel to Taiwan with LA 18 Celebrities Part 3

 Entertainment
Feb 092013
 
Travel to Taiwan with LA 18 Celebrities Part 3

Asian celebrities in Los Angeles namely (from left) Tracy Bui, Emily Liu, Jannelle So (second from right) and Hana Kim (rightmost), all of whom are either producers or hosts of a TV program on Channel 18 KSCI headed by their Vice President April Kuan (third from right) in Monday’s news conference in Rosemead to promote Taiwan as a tourist destination as they all listen to Trust Lin (third from left), who heads the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Los Angeles. The celebrities will lead separate delegations to the Republic of China (Taiwan) for the third and final leg of the Travel to Taiwan with LA 18 Celebrity April 1-6. Photo: Rhony Laigo LOS ANGELES – The Taiwan Tourism Bureau presents the third sequel of the Travel to Taiwan series in conjunction with Channel LA 18 KSCI-TV as part of “Time for Taiwan” promotion. LA 18 celebrities – Jannelle So, Hana Kim, Tracy Bui and Emily Liu  – will lead Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese guide tours respectively. The weeklong trip for each group will introduce tour members as well as TV audiences to Taiwan’s cultural customs and traditions. This show will provide TV audiences with an in-depth look at Taiwan’s rich culture and showcase Taiwan’s island beauty. In a news conference held Monday at 888 Seafood Restaurant in Rosemead, the celebrities took part in promoting their tour along with KSC Vice President April Kuan and Taiwan Tourism Bureau Director Trust Lin. The trips are scheduled for March 25 for Chinese and Read More …

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