Memorial march set in HK today

HONG KONG – It will not be an ordinary Sunday for Filipinos here as various political parties will lead a memorial march today in the island’s Central district in remembrance of the eight Hong Kong tourists killed in the hostage drama at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila last Monday.

The Civic Party, organizers of today’s march, has called for restraint amid fears of racial tension.

The joint memorial march will have as its theme, “Strongly request to the Philippine government to have a thorough investigation and publish the truth,” the Civic Party said.

“We welcome DIY (do-it-yourself) signage, but please avoid wordings evoking race discrimination,” the party said as it called on the Hong Kong people to join the march and adopt the black and white dress code.

The memorial march will start at the Victoria Park in Causeway Bay at 3 p.m. and proceed to Chater Garden in Central.

The Civic Party will also collect signatures from Filipino migrant workers at Chater Garden from 1 to 5 p.m. in a bid to “gather the solidarity of Hong Kongers and Filipinos.”

Majority of the 134,023 Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong spend their Sunday day-off in the Central district. Consul General Claro Cristobal yesterday appealed to the Filipinos to show respect to the protesters. 

“Let us be calm, understand their sentiments and show them our sympathy,” Cristobal said in his message.

The Filipino community, for its part, will offer Masses today for the slain Hong Kong tourists. The Masses will be offered at St. Joseph Church in Central, St. Francis Church in Maon Shan, Anunciation Parish in Tsuen Wan, and St. Benedict Church in Sha Tin, while a prayer vigil will be offered at St. Teresa Parish Church in Prince Edward, Kowloon.    

‘Steer clear of rallies’

Malacañang, for its part, advised Filipinos in Hong Kong yesterday to steer clear of rallies in the Chinese territory to avoid provocative situations even as it stressed that the hostage-taking incident will not be an irritant to the relations between the Philippines and China.

“They should keep calm and speak gently. They can size up the situation because they live there. They will know if their physical presence or gatherings in the usual places will provoke an untoward incident. They should just observe normal precaution and understand that this involves emotional outbursts and we should allow them to express them,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said over radio station dzRB.

Coloma expressed confidence the situation would not get out of hand since the OFWs have been a part of the Hong Kongers’ lives for a long time now.

Coloma said many OFWs had helped shape the character of their children, served as tutors and contributed much to their economy and society.

HK probers

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said two Hong Kong police officers have been sent to Manila to investigate the hostage tragedy and assist in the Philippine investigation. Tsang added that autopsies are being done on the eight bodies, as ordered by the coroner who will then decide whether or not an inquest will be required.

“We are cooperating with the Manila police. We already have police officers there. We hope through this channel we would be able to (get) a comprehensive, thorough and accurate report of what happened there,” Tsang said.

The Hong Kong government will also arrange sharing sessions for all staff who went to Manila to help the hostage victims. This move is seen to help alleviate the emotional problems arising from the tragedy.

Tsang has also proposed the burial of the eight hostage victims in Tribute Garden, an area in Wo Hop Shek Public Cemetery reserved for people who have been killed performing exceptional acts of bravery.

Tsang announced the plan to the media after visiting hostage survivor Jason Leung in Tuen Mun Hospital. Leung is recovering from an operation to remove part of his skull to relieve intracranial pressure.

Smiling face

The three sisters of President Aquino also offered last Friday prayers, flowers and candles for the victims of the Quirino Grandstand siege.

Maria Elena “Ballsy” Cruz, along with sisters Pinky Abellada and Viel Dee, visited the grandstand at around 3 p.m.

Cruz defended their brother, President Aquino, who has been criticized for “smiling” at a news conference after the hostage crisis.

Cruz said members of their family, including their mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino, smile even in times of adversity.

Moreover, “Filipinos are smiling people,” Cruz said.

She added that her brother might have been too preoccupied with the situation to think about his facial expression.

But Cruz stressed that they understand that emotions are still high, especially those of the victims of the hostage crisis.

The President has also been receiving hate messages in his Facebook and Twitter accounts, but Cruz said they are taking the comments as constructive criticisms.

“I just hope that we would be able to recover from all of these and I hope that it is already 2016,” she said, referring to the end of the term of their brother.

Mass for victims

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and three Catholic bishops have organized a Mass at the Quirino Grandstand on Tuesday morning to mark the ninth day since the bloody hostage drama took place.

The three cities and 15 towns of Albay will also hold today simultaneous Masses for the victims of the hostage crisis.

Even political leaders in Central Luzon, including the governors of Bulacan and Tarlac, the home province of President Aquino, conveyed their sympathies to the families of the eight Hong Kong tourists.

Meantime, director Ronaldo Tiotuico of DOT-Central Luzon reported that foreign tourist arrivals at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga remains high even after the hostage crisis. - With Aurea Calica, Evelyn Macairan, Cet Dematera and Ding Cervantes