MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Saturday expressed confidence that the Philippine relations with Hong Kong will not be marred anew following the refusal of key witnesses to proceed to the Crown Colony for its inquest on the August 23 Manila bus hostage incident. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that it was an invitation to the Filipino witnesses and they are not compelled to attend the inquest if they refused.
“It was very clear from the beginning that [what they] were sent were an invitation,” Valte said.
She added that the Philippine government has handed over the invitations to those who were on the list.
“It is clear that they could decline and we cannot compel them to go,” she said.
“Nonetheless, as [Justice] Secretary [Leila] De lima said that in the spirit of cooperation, we had already sent the result of the IIRC (Incident Investigation and Review Committee), and other documents wrapping that up,” Valte said, adding that the Philippines will also be sending a representative of the crime scene investigation to assist the coroner in making the inquiry.
There were 116 Filipinos initially on the list of Hong Kong authorities for summoning but 70 key witnesses had already declined to proceed to Hong Kong for the inquest.
Eight Hong Kong nationals were killed in August last year after Senior Superintendent Rolando Mendoza held hostage a tourist bus at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, which also injured eight other Hong Kong nationals.
Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim met with Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang in December last year in the former British colony for a good will mission in the country’s effort to smoothen ties with Hong Kong.
Madel Sabater, Manila Bulletin
