De Lima to meet DFA officials on HK hostage probe

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is set to meet with officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) next week to plan out the government’s action on the investigation of Hong Kong authorities in the Aug. 23 hostage-taking incident at the Quirino Grandstand where eight tourists from the special administrative region were killed after a botched police rescue.

She said the purpose of the meeting would be “to clarify parameters of the proceedings in Hong Kong.”

“I would ask them to brief me with real state of the law in Hong Kong, including the mechanics of inquest there. I’ve seen some papers already like coroner’s ordinance but it’s different from rules of procedure for inquest itself,” De Lima told reporters in her biweekly press conference.

She stressed that this issue should first be clarified before the government could commit and send witnesses to Hong Kong for their investigation of the hostage incident.

She earlier agreed to lead the delegation to be sent to Hong Kong to face the coroner’s inquest, citing lack of choice since she was the chair of the incident investigation and review committee that investigated the incident.

She hinted on the possibility of just getting the statements here in the Philippines of over 100 witnesses summoned by Hong Kong police.

Still, she insisted on the importance of clarifying the scope of Hong Kong’s investigation to determine if the proceedings could be covered by Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between the two governments.

“And if it (MLAT) applies, we also have to insist that the Hong Kong authorities make a statement as to the applicability and desirability of the MLAT. Because, there are enough provisions there that would protect the witnesses,” she added.

De Lima and 115 others had been invited by Hong Kong authorities as witnesses.

Also yesterday, De Lima announced that the IIRC would conduct next week the second phase of their probe focusing on the institutional and procedural review of rules of procedures of law enforcement agencies on hostage crisis.

She said the IIRC has invited at least five ranking Philippine National Police officials – Deputy Director General Benjamin Belarmino, PNP deputy chief for operations; Director Rey Lanada, PNP director for comptrollership; Director Josefino Cataluna, PNP director for operations; Director George Piano, PNP director for logistics; and Chief Superintendent Herold Ubalde, PNP director for legal service.

The IIRC is set to conduct the proceedings from Tuesday to Thursday next week, she added.