8 Coast guard Personnel Charged with Homicide for the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman

A court had charged 8 Filipino Coast Guard personnel of homicide. The court had charged homicide for murdering a fisherman from Taiwan. It was said that the act happened in the northern part of Batanes in May 2013. The event had caused a diplomatic conflict between Taipei and Manila.

According to the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 15, the accused will be imprisoned for eight years, one day to fourteen years, eight months and one day. The accused will also be charged with a 50,000Php civil indemnity and a payment of 50,000 Php for moral damages for the passing of Hong Shi Cheng in the Balintang Channel.





The convicted coast guard personnel were Arnold Dela Cruz, Nicky Aurelio, and Edrando Aguila, Mhelvyn Bendo II, Andy Gibb Golfo, Sonny Masangkay, Henry Solomon, and Richard Corpuz.

The incident had caused Taipei to enact sanctions against Manila. These sanctions were only taken back by Taipei when an official from the Philippines went to Taiwan and apologized. The National Bureau of Investigation had advised Taiwan to press charges to the 8 accused.

The accused fought for the dismissal of the claim against them. Six of the accused also said that they have no proof for their accusations.

Judge Eduardo Ramon Reyes failed to accept the defense of the accused coast guard personnel because of the statement released by a Taiwanese forensic official and an NBI ballistic expert. There were bullets found on the vessel of the victim and that the firearms used had matched with the accused coast guards’ vessel. It was also revealed by one of the accused coast guards that after a warning shot, the Taiwanese boat had then hit their vessel.





Based on Judge Eduardo’s statement, the report of one of the accused proves their involvement with the death of the Taiwanese fisherman. Thus, the people in the coast guard vessel were charged with collective responsibility on the incident. With the intention to kill the fisherman and the actual act of ending the life of the victim without granting him of any legal justification, the accused are charged with homicide.

According to Captain Armand Balilo, the Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson, they were only doing their duty in protecting the territory of the Philippines.

Rodrigo Moreno,  the accused’ lawyer, also said that the fisherman was stealing from the Philippine territory and that the accused were performing their duty to protect the Philippines’ territory.
According to Balilio, there was no complaint filed against the fisherman for stealing.

The accused were allowed by the court to remain out on bail because of their pending appeal.

Based on Balilo’s statement in ANC’s Dateline Philippines, the accused are hoping that after the appeal and review on the incident, there would be a reversal on the conviction. He also added that he and all of the coast guard personnel in the Philippines support the accused.

Source: ABS-CBN News

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