A MANILA court denied the motion for reconsideration of six Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel over the October 2018 dismissal of their opposition to the prosecution’s evidence on their homicide case over the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman in 2013.
In an order dated Feb. 26, Judge Eduardo Ramon R. Reyes of Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 upheld the dismissal of their demurrer to evidence of the prosecution, saying there was evidence that they opened fire at the Taiwanese fishing vessel which led to the death of Hong Shi-Ching.
Commander Arnold E. de la Cruz, Seaman 2nd Class (SN2) Nicky R. Aurelio, SN1 Edrando Q. Aguila, SN1 Mhelvyn A. Bendo II, SN1 Andy Gibb R. Golfo, SN1 Sonny G. Masangkay, SN1Henry B. Solomon, and SN1 Richard F. Corpuz are charged with homicide over the shooting of Mr. Hong in the South China Sea last May 9, 2013.
In their motion for reconsideration, six of the accused, except Messrs. de la Cruz and Bendo, claimed they should be acquitted of the charge as the prosecution failed to prove they fired at the vessel and that there were no personal and positive identification of all the accused in the information against them.
Mr. Reyes noted in the order that the prosecution presented witnesses from the Forensic Science Division of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of Taiwan and a ballistician from the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation which supported the claim that PCG members opened fire at Mr. Hong’s boat.
“Based on the foregoing, there are pieces of evidence which prove that the accused fired upon the Taiwanese vessel GDX (Guan De Xing) No. 28. That in furtherance of the prosecution’s theory of conspiracy all of the accused may be held liable for the crime as charged, unless, they sufficiently proved the contrary,” he stated.
Mr. Reyes said other arguments “should be passed upon only after a full-blown trial on the merits.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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