Lawyer says Taiwan has right to ask for apology

MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino administration should have immediately apologized to the Taiwanese government for the killing of a Taiwan fisherman who was shot by a member of the Philippine Coast Guard last week in Batanes, a international law professor said on Thursday.

Lawyer Harry Roque Jr., chairman of the Center for International Law, said the Philippine officials should have also acted quickly to probe the incident.

"Since the shooting was at the behest of a state organ, the Philippine Coast Guard, the investigation should not have lasted as long as it did. It only entails requiring the Master of the coast guard vessel to report what transpired that led to the shooting," Roque said.

"Absent evidence that it was in self-defense, the Philippines should have apologized with dispatch and should not have waited for any formal demand to do so. Our failure to act with dispatch consistent with our  international obligation gave  Taiwan the opportunity to exploit the incident to promote its own interest," he added.

The lawyer noted that the family and relatives of the slain fisherman have the right to ask for just compensation for their loss from the Philippine government.

"Because we committed an internationally wrongful act, we have the obligation under international law to apologize and provide compensation to the victim," he added.

Roque, however, belittled Taiwan's claim that it has entered into an agreement with the Philippine government regarding the matter of the fishing activities in the area.

"Taiwan is not an independent state and should not expect to be treated as such. Any fishing agreement involving overlapping areas of our exclusive economic zone should be with the People Republic of China. This is  consistent with the international communities’ recognition of the so-called one-China policy; that is, Taiwan forms part of the People’s Republic of China and is not a republic on its own," he said.