Philippines says to finish probe on shooting Taiwan fishermen soon

MANILA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) is close to finishing its investigations on a Taiwan fisherman shot dead by Philippine coast guards, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said Tuesday.

Except for the physical examination of the fishing vessel, the NBI has already completed its probe on the case, said Aquino in a chance interview after the 115th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Navy held at the Fort San Felipe in Cavite City.

Aquino had tapped the NBI to do the independent probe on the shooting case on May 9. The Philippibe Department of Justice had earlier rejected a joint investigation on the incident by the Philippines and China's Taiwan despite the arrival last week of a group of Taiwanese investigators.

The Taiwanese presented a letter dated May 10 signed by Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) managing director Antonio Basilio which invited Taiwan to a joint probe.

The Philippine Coast Guard shot dead a Taiwan fisherman on May 9 at a sea area 164 nautical miles southeast of the southernmost tip of Taiwan, and continued chasing the fishing vessel for about an hour, even after the attacked fishing vessel was fleeing at full speed.

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