Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday urged the public not to blame the Philippine Coast Guard’s killing of a Taiwanese fisherman last week on Filipino workers and visitors, adding that the city government would work to ensure the safety of such workers in Taipei.
The shooting of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成) in contested waters in the South China Sea has sparked public anger at the Philippines, and the nation has demanded a formal apology and compensation from Manila.
Hau yesterday reiterated his condemnation of the Philippines’ failure to meet Taiwan’s demands and take full responsibility for the incident. He added that letters had been sent to Taipei’s sister cities of Manila and Quezon to retract its invitation for them to participate in Taipei’s annual dragon boat festival next month, while suspending all city-to-city exchanges.
However, he called on the public to remain rational and refrain from taking their anger out on Philippine workers and visitors in Taiwan.
“The public should stay rational and treat Philippine workers and visitors with friendly attitudes because they are innocent. We do not want any irrational reactions to complicate Taiwan’s handling of the incident,” he said.
Hau’s comments came amid allegations that Filipino workers are being treated viciously by Taiwanese in the wake of the incident.
Netizens shared a message yesterday on Facebook from the Trans Asia Sisters Association that called on Taiwanese not to shift the blame on to Philippine citizens after some Filipino workers said that fellow workers were reportedly being beaten or shouted at on the street in many parts of the nation.
Hau said the Taipei Police Department would enhance patrols at locations where Filipinos gather, such as the Taipei Railway Station and Zhongshan N Road, to ensure their safety. The city’s Department of Labor Affairs will also assist any worker who files a complaint.
Typhoon Champi is forecast to turn northward earlier than previously expected, sparing Taiwan a direct hit but still bringing heavy rain to the north of the country on Friday and Saturday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Typhoon Champi had strengthened and increased in size over the past 12 hours, and as of yesterday afternoon, was packing sustained winds of 198kph near its center, CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) said. However, due to the weakening of a Pacific high-pressure system the storm is now expected to turn northward earlier than initially forecast, likely around Japan’s Ishigaki Island, Cheng said. As Champi brushes
A sea warning for Typhoon Champi might be issued tonight, while the storm’s trajectory would determine whether a land warning is to be issued tomorrow night, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Champi was about 1,536km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), packing maximum sustained winds of 198kph, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said. The storm was moving west-northwest at 23kph and was expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours before weakening slightly as it approaches cooler waters east of Taiwan, Tseng said. Champi is expected to turn north tomorrow, with the angle of the
DEFENSE PROCUREMENT: Taiwan could become the largest operator of V-BAT drones outside the US if the contract is finalized, the Ministry of National Defense said The navy and the coast guard reportedly plan to acquire 292 units of MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) surveillance drones. If the contract is awarded and finalized, it would make Taiwan one of the largest buyers of the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the US-based defense technology company Shield AI. The Coast Guard Administration budgeted NT$1.2 billion (US$37.1 million) to buy 12 drones, which have been delivered, Shield AI said in a report on Oct 13. The navy is planning to spend NT$36 billion under a four-year program code-named Project Yuan Hsiao (遠鴞) to acquire 280 V-BAT drones,
A patrol vessel donated by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) to the Philippines would not be used in waters near Taiwan or areas where Taiwanese fishing vessels operate, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. The vessel, formerly the CGA's 500-tonne-class Kinmen (金門), was commissioned into the Philippine Coast Guard on Oct. 2. Speaking at the Legislative Yuan, Cho said the Philippines had pledged during the donation process that the vessel would be used only for designated missions and would not operate in waters related to Taiwan. The vessel could even provide assistance to Taiwan if needed, he added. Responding to questions from Chinese
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