PHL checking Vietnamese claim of Spratlys shooting

The Philippine government is verifying a Vietnamese claim that Philippine forces shot and wounded two Vietnamese fishermen in a disputed area of the South China Sea earlier this month. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government radio that Malacañang has not received any official report on the matter as of Saturday. “Itse-check natin muna. Wala pa tayong na-receive na report on any such incident," she said on government-run dzRB radio. A wire service report quoted Vietnamese police as saying two Vietnamese fishermen were shot and wounded in disputed South China Sea waters. Tieu Viet Thanh, police chief of Binh Chau commune in coastal Quang Ngai province, said the incident supposedly happened Saturday last week in the Spratlys. He identified the two as Vietnamese boat captain Nguyen Tan Luan, 39, and crewman Le Quang Tu. Police chief Thanh said the assailants took food, fuel and fish from the Vietnamese. The wounded were taken by other fishermen on board their boat to Malaysia for treatment. Relatives of the sailors told police the shooters wore uniforms of the Philippines. A Philippine Navy officer has already denied that Philippine military personnel were involved. "We definitely would not open fire. Rules of engagement say you do not use gunfire except in self-defense," Commodore Mike Rodriguez said. Filipino pirates have occasionally worn military uniforms or camouflage in their criminal activities. Aside from the Philippines and Vietnam, China, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan claim all or part of the Spratly group of islands. 'Harassment’ by Chinese aircraft Meanwhile, Valte maintained the Philippines is still verifying the alleged harassment by Chinese aircraft of Philippine aircraft over the Reed Bank near Palawan. “Kung sakaling ma-verify natin na nagkaroon ng ganung insidente we have always advocated diplomatic and peaceful ways of resolving such problems," she said. But she stressed: "The Reed Bank is not part of the disputed area in the Spratlys. It is in Western Palawan. There is no question about its ownership." —LBG/HS, GMA News