By BENJAMIN YEH
ABOARD MAKUNG DESTROYER — Taiwan held a military exercise Thursday in waters near the northern Philippines in response to the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman, after rejecting repeated apologies from Manila.
President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated that the Philippines should take formal responsibility for the death of the 65-year-old, shot last week by Philippine coastguards who said his vessel intruded into Philippine waters.
Amid outrage in the island, Taipei has recalled its envoy and slapped sanctions on Manila, including a ban on the hiring of new Philippine workers, a travel alert urging Taiwanese not to visit the Philippines and the suspension of high-level exchanges.
Manila said it had “gone the extra mile” to appease Taipei and expressed concern that its special envoy sent to the island had been rebuffed.
On Thursday, Taiwan sent a destroyer, one frigate and four coast guard ships to waters near the Philippines’ Batan island to press its claims in the area, defense authorities said.
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