MANILA -- Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed on Thursday that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had recommended the filing of criminal and administrative cases against members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) involved in the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman last month, local media reported.
De Lima also confirmed that she had already submitted the NBI's recommendation to President Benigno Aquino III.
In text messages to reporters, De Lima, currently in Europe on official business, said, "I confirmed in an interview here in Madrid that the NBI report is now with the President and that the NBI has recommended the filing of charges against the PCG personnel involved in the incident. But what exactly are the charges I did not and cannot disclose yet pending the President's clearance."
Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper reported on Wednesday that the NBI had recommended the filing of criminal charges against the Filipino coast guards involved in the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman.
But the PCG shrugged off the Inquirer report on the same day, saying "it's not official."
PCG officers shot and killed 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-Cheng at sea 164 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan on May 9. The PCG admitted later firing at one of four Taiwanese fishing vessels.
Investigation team respectively organized by both Taiwan and the Philippines have completed "parallel investigation" on the incident. However, both sides havn't revealed the final investigation results.
