■ 2 VIETNAMESE FISHERMEN KILLED DURING NAVY CHASE

Philippines offers Vietnam sympathies, assures fair and thorough investigation into the incident

A Vietnamese fishing boat slammed into a Filipino navy boat during a chase, prompting its sailors to fire warning shots. They later found two Vietnamese dead on board. Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano informed his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh, about last Saturday’s deadly encounter that took place off Pangasinan and assured him of a fair investigation. Cayetano said the five other Vietnamese fisherment who were taken into custody will be treated well and can be accessed anytime by Vietnamese officials, whoa re being updated on developments. Vietnamese Embassy officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Philippine Government said Monday a Vietnamese fishing vessel initiated “very dangerous maneuvers” and slammed into a Filipino navy boat during a chase, prompting its sailors to fire warning shots. They later found two Vietnamese dead on the vessel.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano informed his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh, of the deadly encounter that occurred early Saturday off Pangasinan and assured him of a fair investigation.

Cayetano talked to Minh, who also serves as Vietnam’ deputy prime minister, during a meeting at the United Nations in New York.

“We would like to offer our sympathies over the unfortunate loss of life and give you our assurance that we will conduct a fair and thorough investigation into this matter,” a Department of Foreign Affairs statement quoted Cayetano as telling Minh.

Cayetano assured Minh that the five other Vietnamese fishermen who were taken into custody will be treated well and could be accessed anytime by Vietnamese officials, who are being updated on developments.

A security official said the incident unfolded closer to the Philippine coast and was not related to the main territorial disputes farther out in the South China Sea.

Still, the deadly incident underscores the danger that lurks due to overlapping territorial claims in a region where competition is heavy for fish, oil, gas and other maritime resources.

In 2013, Philippine coast guard personnel opened fire and killed a Taiwanese fisherman on board a boat that sailed in waters between the Philippines and Taiwan, sparking protests in Taiwan.

Taiwan imposed sanctions before the row was diplomatically resolved.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said a Philippine navy patrol vessel encountered six Vietnamese boats fishing within the country’s exclusive economic zone about 63 kilometers off Cape Bolinao in Pangasinan.

The Filipino sailors chased the Vietnamese fishing vessels, one of which “initiated very dangerous maneuvers that resulted in it slamming into the left front and left center of the Philippine patrol vessel,” the department said.

That “prompted personnel on board the navy vessel to fire warning shots and when the navy personnel boarded the fishing vessel, they found two dead Vietnamese fishermen,” the department said.

Five other Vietnamese fishermen surrendered and were taken into custody while the Vietnamese fishing boat was towed to Pangasinan afterward.

The Filipino navy personnel “followed the rules of engagement, including identification protocol and use of radio and public address system,” a security official said.

Vietnamese Embassy officials were not immediately available for comment.