(Eagle News)–A Manila court has ruled the Coast Guard officers accused in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman off Batanes in 2013 should go to trial.
In denying the motion for reconsideration filed by Commander Arnold dela Cruz, Seaman Second Class Nicky Aurelio, and Seamen First Class Edrando Aguila, Mhelvyn Bendo II, Andy Gibb Golfo, Sonny Masangkay, Henry Solomon and Richard Corpuz, Branch 15 said their arguments against the homicide charges filed against them for the death of Hong Shi Cheng were best threshed out in a trial.
The Taiwanese fisherman died after his fishing vessel Guan Da Xing was shot at as it was plying the Balintang Channel.
The Coast Guard had said it was only forced to fire at the vessel of the fisherman as it had attempted to ram the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship they were on after he was told to stop poaching in Philippine waters.
In ordering the trial, the court also noted there were “pieces of evidence which prove that the accused fired upon the Taiwanese vessel GDX,” noting the testimonies of a forensics official from the Taiwanese criminal bureau, and one from the National Bureau of Investigation.
“That in furtherance of the prosecution’s theory of conspiracy, all of the accused may be held liable for the crime charged unless, they sufficiently proved the contrary,” the court said.
The incident caused a standoff between Taipei, who demanded an apology, and Manila, who refused to apologize.
Taiwan’s sanctions which included a freeze on the issuance of work visas to Filipinos were subsequently lifted.
