Hong Kong court to hold inquest on Manila bus hostage

HONG KONG - The Coroner’s Court here will hold a public inquest into the Manila bus hostage incident that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in August.

The hearings are scheduled to last 25 days starting Feb. 14, focusing on the cause and circumstances that led to the bloody deaths of the eight tourists.

Officials said the hearings would not delve into the civil liabilities of the Filipino officials and policemen in the botched rescue attempt.

Hong Kong officials criticized the Philippine government over the handling of the hostage incident triggered by a distraught former police officer that wanted to be reinstated to the service, and the subsequent decision to spare the officials involved in the rescue and negotiations.

During the inquest, witnesses would be called by the Coroner, who however has no power and authority to compel witnesses from other countries to testify.

After the hearings, the Coroner will sum up the case that is expected to contain the findings on the direct causes of the deaths of the hostages.

The inquest came less than a month after the Hong Kong police concluded their investigation into the hostage incident.

Last month, the Hong Kong Police submitted its investigation report to the Coroner’s Court.

The Hong Kong police earlier sent a delegation to Manila to gather evidence, including from the bus where the victims were killed and interviewing witnesses.

The hostage taker Rolando Mendoza seized a busload of Hong Kong tourists in Manila on Aug. 23 in a desperate bid to get his job back and be cleared of extortion charges.

Eight of the tourists, as well as Mendoza, were killed when ill-prepared police commandos launched a rescue attempt riddled with errors in a drama played out live on television.

While the Philippine government said the victims were all killed by the gunman, a panel tasked to investigate the incident also said incompetence and negligence on the part of the police contributed to its bloody conclusion.

The Hong Kong government has expressed “disappointment at the Philippine authorities’ decision to lessen the recommended actions against the officers named in the first report by the inquiry committee reviewing the Manila hostage tragedy.”