Teco reacts to Doro’s column

In response to Amando Doronila’s May 31 column (“Taiwan should compensate PH for its incursions”), I would like to again take exception to his misleading and erroneous statements. Though I have been reluctant to point out his fallacies, I, as a follower of journalistic ethics, feel the need to clarify the details of the shooting incident for the benefit of Inquirer readers.

On Doronila’s obstinate and groundless assertion that Guang Da Hsin No. 28 was “intercepted poaching in Philippine waters off Batanes Islands” when the May 9 shooting incident happened, we maintain, as stated in my previous letter (“ROC’s reaction to Doro’s column,” Inquirer, 6/1/13), that the shooting took place at N 20º, E 123º, 164 nautical miles away from Erluanbi, Taiwan, and 39 nautical miles away from Batanes—where Taiwan and the Philippines have overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs). This simple fact negates all unjustified accusations of “poaching” that have been continuously, unjustifiably and wrongfully made against Guang Da Hsin No.28’s crew members in an attempt to picture them as villains. We call this “stereotyping” of Taiwanese fishermen by Doronila negative. A true professional journalist should avoid “stereotyping” in his write-ups.

We also reiterate that the action that the MCS-3001 crew took was undisputably a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). Paragraph 1 of Article 73 of Unclos states that actions that may be taken by a state while enforcing the law in its EEZ are limited to boarding, inspection, arrest and judicial proceedings. On the other hand, Paragraph 3 of that same article states that coastal states may not undertake corporal punishment, of which killing is the most extreme type. Shooting and killing are not allowed under any circumstances.

It should also be noted that 24 of the 59 bullet holes found in Guang Da Hsin No. 28 were aimed at the cockpit where the crew members hid during the shooting spree, clearly indicating the intention to kill, instead of merely “immobilizing” the fishing vessel, as stated by Doronila.

We also call on Doronila to refrain from dragging unrelated terms into the issue—like the so-called “One China policy,” “blackmail,” “coercion,” etc. These are all convenient excuses in evading responsibility. The bottom line is that Guang Da Hsin No. 28 was assaulted in Taiwan’s EEZ and Hung Shi-chen was shot dead there by Philippine civil servants.

All that the Taiwan government is asking is for the Philippine government to issue a formal apology, to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation, to punish the perpetrators, to provide compensation for the family of the victim, and to enter into the bilateral fishery negotiation so this kind of tragedy will not happen again. Are these too much to ask for? Readers of independent thinking may judge. We shall leave the judgment to the freethinkers.

As the saying goes, “Honesty is the best policy.” I wish Doronila will look at the facts and pieces of evidence honestly. After all, honesty is undeniably the core value of journalism.

—CHANG PONG,

director, Press Division,

Taipei Economic and Cultural

Office in the Philippines