Canada, UK also receive copies of IIRC report

MANILA, Philippines - Canada and the United Kingdom have received copies of the report of the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC) on the Aug. 23 hostage-taking incident at the Luneta Grandstand.

Three of the tourists killed in the bus hijack were Canadian citizens. They were identified as Ken Leung, 58, and his daughters Jessie, 14 and Doris, 21.

The mother, Amy Leung, and her son, 18-year-old Jason, both of whom survived the shooting, also hold Canadian passports. 

Political Counselor James Trottier of the Canadian embassy in Manila yesterday expressed appreciation to the Philippines for providing them a copy of the report.

“We have been provided a copy of the report by the government of the Philippines. We appreciate receiving the copy. We are reviewing it now,” Trottier told The STAR.

UK embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Colin Crorkin received the report yesterday afternoon in behalf of his government.

The embassy deferred comment on the report.

Two of the hostages are British citizens residing in London and Hong Kong.

The report had been forwarded to President Aquino for assessment.

Trottier said Canada is awaiting the assessment and decision of the Office of the President regarding the recommendations made in the report.

“We welcome the ongoing efforts of the government of the Philippines to undertake a full and complete investigation and take appropriate actions,” Trottier said.

Last Tuesday, China has expressed appreciation for the release of the report. 

In a statement issued by the Chinese embassy in Manila, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Yu said the report had been forwarded to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

“The initial reading indicates that the Philippine side takes a sincere and serious manner in handling with and looking into the incident, to which the Chinese side expresses its appreciation,” Jiang said.

China hopes that the Philippines “continues to handle with the aftermath in an appropriate manner, so as to console the souls of the victims and render comfort to the bereft families and injured Hong Kong compatriots.”

Jiang said China is ready to work with the Philippines to steadily advance the bilateral relations between the two nations.

Last Monday, the government gave China the first copy of the report. 

Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Esteban Conejos Jr. handed over the report to Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

Annexed to the report were nine folios containing transcripts of the hearings, testimonies, forensic reports and other information gathered by the review committee.

During a visit to Manila last week, Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney said they expect to get a copy of the report upon learning that some of the casualties of the hostage-taking incident were Canadian citizens. 

Kenney paid a courtesy call to the President last Friday to discuss his concerns.

“But I make it clear that everyone in the Philippine government recognizes there was a breakdown of the system and that needs to be rectified,” Kenney said.