Philippine envoy tells workers in Taiwan to eat at home and avoid streets amid row over death

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine envoy to Taiwan is advising thousands of Filipino workers there to eat at home and avoid the streets as emotions run high on the island over the shooting death of a fisherman by the Philippine coast guard.

Philippine envoy Amadeo Perez said Thursday after returning from Taipei that the government has verified at least one attack, in which a Filipino was beaten with a bat. Perez says Taiwanese police are investigating.

Taiwan has frozen the hiring of Filipino workers, cut trade exchanges and discouraged travel to the Philippines after its government brushed aside an apology from the Philippine president as insufficient. Nearly 87,000 Filipinos work in Taiwan, a fraction of about 10 million who work abroad to escape poverty and unemployment at home.