Taiwan sets new condition for NBI team’s visit

Philippine special envoy Amadeo Perez (Center) AFP FILE PHOTO

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwanese authorities issued additional conditions on Saturday that could possibly delay further a trip here by a team from the National Bureau of Investigation to complete its investigation into the circumstances around the killing by the Philippine Coast Guard of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters off Batanes, Manila Economic and Cultural Office  chair Amadeo Perez said.

Perez told the Inquirer in a telephone interview that previous problems had been ironed out and the eight NBI agents had  been issued visa by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Manila.

“Previous conditions have been approved to clear the departure of the NBI team, but today we received new set of conditions this morning  which we forwarded to the Department of Justice to decide,” Perez said. He declined to say what the new conditions were.

“We referred it to DOJ (Department of Justice); only they have the authority to reveal the new conditions,” Perez said.

Calls to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima went unanswered Saturday and it was not known if the NBI team could leave as planned during the weekend.

He confirmed that the DOJ had approved a Taiwanese request for access to the video that was supposedly taken by the Coast Guard of the encounter a patrol boat manned by personnel from the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries had with a Taiwanese fishing boat they claimed was poaching in Philippine waters.

He added that among the Taiwanese investigators’  request was the provision of round-the-clock security for a Taiwanese team of investigators in Manila.

“Unless the new terms are immediately acted upon, the departure of the NBI team will again be delayed,” Perez said.

The MECO chair also said that based on the latest reports he has been given, “the situation has improved and no new attacks on Filipinos have  been reported.”

“Medyo kalmado na (It’s calmer now), but to be safe, we still advise our workers to be cautious and not to go out unless necessary,” he said.

Borcia Talal, a Filipina married to a Taiwanese based in Taichung City, where a large number of Filipinos work, said the situation there had also “calmed down.”

“The situation has eased; there still is some fear but this will soon be gone  and we hope the problem will be resolved soon,” Talal told the Inquirer.

Meanwhile, the Filipino community here was scheduled to hold a vigil at  St.Christopher Church on Chungshan  Road in Taipei for the speedy resolution of the crisis between Taiwan and the Philippines following the death of the 65-year-old fisherman on May 9.

The killing triggered public outrage in Taiwan and led the Taiwanese government to impose sanctions on the Philippines, including a freeze on the hiring of Filipino workers.