The Philippines on Saturday rejected Taiwan’s allegations that its coastguards had intentionally murdered a Taiwanese fisherman whose death has triggered a major diplomatic spat.
The 65-year-old fisherman was shot dead by Philippine coastguards who said his vessel intruded into Philippine waters.
Chen Wen-chi, head of the Taiwan team investigating the May 9 incident, said most of the bullets had hit the fishing boat’s cockpit where its crew hid.
“By combining the... evidence, it clearly shows that the Philippine law enforcers were intentionally shooting the Guang Ta Hsin 28 crew members, which indicates their intent of murder,” Chen told a news conference in Manila.
The shooting, which Manila insists occurred inside Philippine territorial waters but which Taipei counters happened within its exclusive economic zone, has led to Taiwanese sanctions against its neighbour.
President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Ricky Carandang rejected the murder allegations.
“There is an investigation ongoing so any premature statements that tend to confuse the issues and inflame passions should be avoided,” Carandang told AFP.
