Philippines and Taiwan: death of a fisherman

Taiwanese Minister for Foreign Affairs David Lin says Taipei and Manila have reached a consensus on initiating a joint investigation into the shooting of Taiwanese fisherman in Philippine waters. “Both sides have agreed to arrange for the other side to conduct fact-finding trips in their respective countries to discover the truth behind the fatal shooting.” Taipei Times reported that the bilateral cooperation on the case was termed, both by Lin and Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, as a “parallel investigation” instead of a “joint investigation” to avoid concerns on both sides about sovereign interference. Lin’s remarks came after Taiwanese probers who arrived in Manila last week returned to Taiwan empty-handed.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirms a ‘parallel investigation’ would indeed take place. The Taiwanese government has banned the hiring of new workers from the Philippines in retaliation over the incident. The Philippine government, through MECO, has conveyed its apologies over the incident. Perez also says the Philippines is waiting for tempers in Taiwan to cool before settling the dispute.

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