Friday, May 5, 2006

Philippine military investigates alleged shooting of Chinese vessel off Spratly’s

By Ronron
May 4, 2006

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has begun investigating the alleged shooting last week of a Chinese fishing vessel off the disputed Spratly’s island in the South China Sea by suspected Filipino pirates, which resulted in the death of four Chinese crew members and the wounding of three others.

AFP Public Information Officer (PIO) Col. Tristan Kison told Camp Aguinaldo reporters Thursday that AFP Western Command (Wescom) chief Rear Admiral Tirso Danga already went to the area last Wednesday for a preliminary investigation.

Danga’s action came on the same day Malacanang ordered the AFP to investigate the alleged incident.

“Admiral Danga started the investigation on his own. That’s his area (of responsibility),” Kison said in a phone interview.

Sans the result of the investigation, the military, however, is inclined to believe that it was a pirate attack, the same theory floated in news reports that came first from Beijing.

Kison said he does not have any details yet about the incident when pressed by reporters.

Aside from the Philippines and China, the oil-rich Spratly’s is also being claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia./DMS