MANILA: Philippine's de facto envoy to Taiwan on Friday warned compatriots living on the island to avoid public places after a Filipino man was attacked and hospitalised by a gang of youths amid simmering tensions.
The shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by a Philippine anti-poacher last week sparked a diplomatic row which an official apology by Philippine President Benigno Aquino has been unable to resolve.
Speaking on a Manila radio station, Amadeo Perez recounted the latest attack: "They smashed his arm with a (baseball) bat. He was taken to hospital, and the case is under police investigation.
"People are emotional, and tensions are running high. You (Filipino workers) should stay at home and eat indoors before and after work," he added.
Perez is chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, which handles trade and other relations with Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties. The Philippines, like most countries, formally recognises China over Taiwan.
He was unavailable for comment, a member of his staff said late Friday when contacted by AFP.
Taiwan's leader on Friday meanwhile called for calm and promised to protect Filipinos on the island.
President Benigno Aquino sent Perez to Taipei earlier in the week to convey the Filipino leader's personal apology over the shooting.
However Taipei rejected the apology and imposed sanctions, including a ban on the hiring of new Filipino workers, a travel alert urging Taiwanese to avoid the Philippines, and the suspension of high-level exchanges.
There are 87,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan, its government said.
On Thursday Taiwan also held a military exercise in waters near the northern Philippines in response to the fisherman's killing.
The Philippine justice department is investigating the shooting, which an Aquino spokesman described as an "unfortunate and unintended loss of life". The government has not said when the probe would be completed.
The coast guard said it shot at the Taiwanese fishing vessel's engine in self-defence within Philippine waters after the latter attempted to ram the Filipino patrol craft.
Taipei insisted the shooting occurred in international waters and demanded a formal Philippine government apology, compensation for the fisherman's family and arrest of the killer. (AFP)
