The Philippines said Monday that it would make "coordinated efforts" with Taiwan to look into the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman but stopped short of a joint investigation. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the two investigating groups would not conduct a joint probe into the shooting of the fisherman by the Philippine coastguard, despite repeated calls from Taiwan to do so. Instead she said that investigators from both sides would help each other in separately looking into the incident that has strained ties between the two neighbours.

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.

The Philippines held elections Monday seen as crucial for President Benigno Aquino's bold reform agenda, as deadly violence and graft-tainted candidates underlined the nation's deep-rooted problems. Aquino called for the mid-term polls, in which thousands of local leaders plus national legislators will be elected, to be a referendum on his efforts to transform a corrupt political system and an underperforming economy.

Graft-tainted ex-presidents, a dictator's unrepentant wife and politicians charged with crimes such as murder and child rape are among the candidates in the Philippines' mid-term elections on Monday. The Philippines has long endured a corrupt and violent brand of democracy in which politicians use their influence to avoid punishment for crimes, creating a so-called "culture of impunity" that enrages the masses. Below are details on 10 politicians contesting the elections who are accused of corruption or criminal activities: