Raps filed in Taiwan fisher’s death

Taiwanese investigators look at a portion of a ship involved in the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman as they ride a rubber boat with the Philippine Coast Guard while they continue their probe in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday May 28, 2013. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Eight officers and personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will be charged with homicide for the May 2013 fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in the Balintang Channel, an incident that strained ties between Manila and Taipei.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday said a panel of Department of Justice prosecutors had found probable cause to charge the eight PCG in the death of Taiwanese fisherman Hong Shi Cheng.

To be charged are PCG commanding officer Arnold Enriquez de la Cruz; Seamen 1st Class Edrando Quiapo Aguila, Mhelvin Aguilar Bendo II, Andy Gibb Ronario Golfo, Sunny Galanf Masangcay and Henry Baco Solomon; Seaman 2nd Class Nicky Renold Aurelio and Petty Officer 2 Richard Fernandez Corpuz.

De la Cruz and Bendo will also be charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly falsifying the monthly gunner report dated May 11, 2013.

The DOJ panel dismissed the other charge of obstruction of justice against De la Cruz, Lt. Junior Grade Martin Bernabe, Ramirez and Bendo this time for the deletion of video clips from the SD cards and compact discs submitted to the NBI as this was accidentally done.

The homicide charges will be filed with the regional trial court of Batanes while the obstruction of justice charges at the municipal trial court of Cagayan.

Reacting to the DOJ panel’s finding, the PCG assured its members of support.

“We will continue to give them our moral support and other help we can provide within the bounds of the law. Of course we will follow legal procedure, whatever is mandated for us to do,” said PCG spokesperson Commander Armand Balilo.

“It’s normal to feel disappointment on the part of the PCG, some [of our members] maybe would feel demoralized, because we believe [our men] did their job. But the PCG is a professional organization and we will continue to do our job,” Balilo added.

Hong, who was aboard a fishing vessel, was fired upon by the PCG on May 9 last year at the Balintang Channel.

In its findings, the DOJ panel led by Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera said the PCG respondents “all acted in unison with the common purpose of firing at the (Taiwanese fishing vessel) to force it to submit to (its) inspection or else.”—With a report from Tina G.Santos