EDITORIAL - Parallel probes a big mistake

It has become clear that having two separate investigations into the same incident – the accidental but fatal shooting of a Taiwanese poacher inside Philippine waters by a Philippine Coast Guard team — can only become far trickier and complicated than the incident itself.

The Philippines, which has clear jurisdiction over the case, should not have allowed itself to be pressured by Taiwan into agreeing to a joint probe. We have sovereign laws that can only be carried out by us. We cannot allow other countries to meddle in our internal affairs.

This is not supposed to happen in other countries. Deaths of foreign nationals happen every now and then in some countries. But never in all of these countries would other governments be allowed to conduct parallel probes, not even if their nationals happen to be the victims.

It is only in the Philippines that this has happened. And all because we have been pressured by the government of Taiwan. To be sure, the threat of a violent backlash against our own nationals in Taiwan, of which there are thousands, was a factor in our capitulation.

But what we conveniently forgot was that the government of Taiwan was obligated under all established and recognized international laws, and rules of all civilized societies, to protect innocent civilians, whether their own citizens or foreign nationals, from any and all harm.

We may shudder to think of what may happen to our compatriots in Taiwan. What we forgot is that Taiwan itself cannot allow such a backlash to happen without incurring another backlash in turn, this time against its own interests.

Taiwan is only full of bluster against us because we are definitely weaker, economically and militarily. But given its precarious sovereign standing, in which China regards it as just a rogue province, Taiwan cannot afford to upset what remaining global goodwill it still has.

Besides, not all Taiwanese are in Taiwan. A considerable number are also in the Philippines. It is in the interest of both countries not to allow hotheads to use the incident to wreak havoc on the innocent.

It is therefore hoped that, having committed the grave mistake of allowing Taiwan to hold a parallel probe of an incident within our sovereign territory, we will not commit another that will grant Taiwan more than what it has already wrangled.