Navy set to monitor Taiwan naval exercises off north Luzon

From Malaya (May 15): Navy set to monitor Taiwan naval exercises off north Luzon

THE Philippine Navy yesterday said it will closely monitor the planned naval exercise by Taiwan near the border in northern Luzon in the wake of last week’s shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat that left a fisherman dead.

The Taipei Times quoted Taiwan’s deputy defense minister Andrew Yang as saying that a Kidd-class destroyer and a Cheng Kung class frigate will be escorting two coast guard ships patrolling the Bashi Channel for training operations on Thursday.

Last Sunday or three days after the shooting incident off Balintang channel in Batanes, it said the Taiwanese Navy dispatched a LaFayette-class frigate to join coast guard ships in patrol.

The Taipei Times said the upcoming drill, which was supported by lawmakers in a resolution, will reportedly be held about 164 nautical miles southeast of the southernmost tip of Taiwan where the Taiwanese fishing boat was “attacked.”

The Philippine Coast Guard had said that the Taiwanese fishing vessel tried to ram its ship during a board and search maneuver, prompting the Coast Guard to fire a warning shot and subsequently at the engine portion of the fishing boat.

Taiwan has threatened to recall its envoy and stop granting work permits if Manila does not issue an apology, arrest the personnel involved and compensate the family of the killed fisherman. The ultimatum ended Tuesday midnight.

The Taipei Times also quoted the resolution as saying that Taiwan’s defense ministry and the coast guard should disperse Filipino fishing boats within Taiwan’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone if the Philippines fails to heed the ultimatum.

There were also reports of Taiwanese fishermen burning Philippine flags last Monday in protest of the shooting of the Taiwanese vessel. They demanded justice for the killed fisherman and punishment of the perpetrators while hurling eggs at the Philippine cultural office in Taipei.

Sought for comment on the planned exercise, Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Gerald Fabic said: “We have assets, naval station in Batanes. From there, we will be monitoring the naval exercises they will be conducting.”

Fabic declined to further comment, and deferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Malacañang. The DFA, on the other hand, deferred to Malacañang.

Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez also refused to comment “to avoid any misunderstanding.”

Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Armand Balilo said the 11 PCG personnel and the ship involved in the incident arrived at the Coast Guard headquarters in Manila last Monday for the investigation.

Balilo earlier said the PCG is open to making an apology, depending on the result of the investigation being conducting by its internal affairs office.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said government opts to keep calm and quiet and let the concerned officials handle the situation to avoid aggravating the situation.
Lacierda said it is more prudent not to comment at this time, and not to telegraph the county’s actions through the media.

He said Antonio Basilio, managing director and Resident Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, will deliver the Philippines’ response to his counterpart.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/news/nation/31020-navy-set-to-monitor-taiwan-naval-exercises-off-north-luzon