MANILA, Philippines - Results of police autopsies on the bodies of the eight fatalities in the hostage incident last Aug.23 showed no indication they had been shot at close range.
But the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s medico-legal division chief Floresto Arizala Jr. said the results of the autopsies by the Philippine National Police (PNP) were not conclusive since these had not yet been counterchecked with other physical evidence.
“I would suggest the clothes (of the fatalities) be retrieved,” Arizala told the panel.
A PNP spokesman earlier said the bullets that killed the eight tourists – all Hong Kong residents – came from the M-16 rifle of hostage taker Rolando Mendoza. Bus driver Alberto Lubang said Mendoza shot the tourists one after another.
“There was no report showing near or contact fire,” Arizala said on the fifth day of the clarificatory hearings by the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC).
Asked by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to elaborate, he said there were “no signs of smudging, tattooing, or burning” on the bodies of the victims in the autopsy report. He said experts use these signs as basis for concluding that a person is shot at pointblank range.
The NBI official also said they were not given a chance to join the autopsy of the PNP or conduct their own autopsy.
“So there would be no misrepresentation by the media, is there something conclusive there (autopsy)? There was no shooting at close range or close distance as testified yesterday (Tuesday)?” asked De Lima.
The NBI official replied: “It was an inference. We would anticipate mentions of smudging, tattooing, or burning.”
“You mean you need further inquiry into that? The results of that? That’s not yet a conclusion?” De Lima again asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Arizala replied.
De Lima told reporters later in an interview that it was very important to determine whether Mendoza fired at his victims at close range.
“We will really dig into the cause of deaths and injuries of the victims. Are all of these caused by the hostage-taker or were there victims of crossfire? We will find out. We are trying to be careful in attending (to) the findings,” she stressed.
Apart from the medico-legal report, the NBI also showed a three-dimensional presentation of the bus as well as reports of bullet trajectory investigation and bullet hole identification.
A total of 35 bullets holes were found inside the bus, 20 on its right side and six on its left.
NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula said they have yet to come up with results of ballistic tests on the firearms used by Mendoza and by operatives of the Manila Police District’s special weapons and tactics (SWAT).
“It is being conducted jointly with Hong Kong. The teams will be arriving on Friday,” Gatdula told the IIRC.
An official who declined to be named told The STAR that ballistic tests in the country are done manually and can take a month to finish.
In Hong Kong, they only take three days and the results are more accurate because they use more advanced technology.
The team sent to Hong Kong, led by Assistant State Prosecutor Cielito Celi, is set to arrive tomorrow.
Earlier in yesterday’s hearing, tour guide Diana Chan corroborated the testimony of Lubang.
She said the Hong Thai bus left Fort Santiago at around 9:50 a.m.
Lubang said they reached Quirino Grandstand at around 10 a.m., contrary to an earlier testimony of SWAT operatives that they were already in the area at around 9:15 a.m.
De Lima said she discovered corrections in the police blotter entry regarding the time of their arrival at Rizal Park.
“He (Mendoza) had conversation with me regarding his civil case... He said he lost all of his benefits, he doesn’t have a single cent already, and I said that’s very bad,” Chan recalled.
Chan had a chance to leave the bus early after she was asked by Mendoza to assist an old male tourist who had an upset stomach out of the bus.
In the afternoon, the IIRC held a reenactment of the incident at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig where the bus had been towed.
“We have confirmed Lubang’s testimony. He really can’t see the TV from his driver’s seat, but he also can’t see the end half of the bus from his front mirror,” De Lima said.
“We will counter-check, double check all of that (forensic exam results)... There are points that are clear, there are those that are not,” she added.
The IIRC wrapped up its clarificatory hearings last night. It is expected to come up with a report on who should be held liable for the botched rescue of the hostages. The IIRC report is also expected to contain recommendations for institutional reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future.