Manila: Ten personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard were charged with homicide and obstruction of justice in connection with the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in the South China Sea off northern Luzon last May, a senior official said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed charges of homicide against eight Coast Guard personnel, and obstruction of justice against two other Coast Guard personnel, for the shooting and killing of Taiwanese fisherman, Hung Shih-cheng, 65, at the Balinting Channel on May 9, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said.

Charged with homicide were Commanding Officer Arnold Dela Cruz; senior Navy officers Edrando Aguila, Mhelvin Bendo, Andy Gibb, Ronario Golf, Sunny Masangcay, Henry Solomon, and Nicky Aurello; and police officer Richard Corpuz.

Senior Navy officer Marvin Ramirez Martin Bernabe, together with Bendo and de la Cruz, the commanding officedr, were charged with obstruction of justice.

“These Coast Guard officers and personnel falsified a gunnery report which reduced the rounds of ammunition used in the incident (that killed the Taiwanese fisherman),” said NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas.

“They also spliced the video taken of the incident cutting off vital portions (to show that the Taiwanese fishing vessel was about to ram the Coast Guard’s vessel to justify the shooting incident, although the video actually recorded that the Taiwanese fishing vessel was hastily leaving the area where the shooting incident occurred),” said Rojas.

Coast Guard’s tampered video was presented to the NBI, which investigated the incident.

There was “no conclusive justification for the use of deadly force against the (Taiwanese) fishing boat,” the NBI also said in an 84-page report that was presented to the media earlier.

“The (alleged) intent (of the Taiwanese fishing vessel) to ram (the Philippine Coast Guard vessel) is not clear, given the perspective offered by the video, and the fact that such manoeuvre could have been intended merely to escape (the scene of the shooting incident), but not to ram, the Philippine craft,” the NBI said in the same report.

The incident damaged Philippines and Taiwan ties, prompting Taipei to impose against Manila economic sanctions, travel ban, and freeze in the hiring of fresh overseas Filipino workers.

Taiwan demanded for a public apology from the Philippine government including compensation for the fisherman’s family.