Philippines, Taiwan start parallel probe

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and Taiwan on Monday started a parallel investigation on the fatal shootinf of a Taiwanese fisherman in the Balintang Channel off Batanes island.

This, as an eight man team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrived in Taiwan and a an investigating team from Taiwan arrived in Manila this morning.

The NBI team arrived in Taiwan on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 896 at around 9 a.m.

Reports said that the NBI personnel were earlier held briefly at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by immigration officers for failing to show proper travel documents.

Officials of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) will assist the NBI team upon arrival to meet with Taiwanese authorities.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said that the NBI probers will inspect the fishing vessel involved in the fatal shooting and interview the companions of the Taiwanese fisherman.

Malacañang had also said that Taiwanese authorities have assured security for the visiting NBI team.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte had also belied a report saying the Ministry of Justice in Taiwan rejected a request by the Philippines to send local investigators there to probe the May 9 shooting.

Meanwhile, a team of Taiwan investigators also arrived in Manila to conduct its own investigation on the fisherman's fatal shooting.

Reports said that the Taiwan probe team arrived at the NAIA Terminal 1 on board China Airlines flight 701 at around 9:50 a.m.

The team was with Simon Lee of the International Police Organization (Interpol).

The Taiwanese probers were scheduled to go to the NBI's main office in Manila and start their own investigation.

Instead of a joint investigation, both agreed to conduct a parallel investigation on the fisherman's killing.

Valte had said that part of the probe is to determine whether the incident happened within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or within Taiwan's territorial waters.

“The investigation is very exhaustive and they’re looking at all factors that may be contributory that may have any particular impact on the incident itself,” she said.

Taiwan has claimed that the incident may have happened in disputed waters since the EEZs of the two countries "overlap." - with Camille Diola