Two survivors of last week's hostage-taking are willing to be interviewed by Philippine investigators, who are now preparing to travel to Hong Kong to take their statements.
Initially, all of the Hong Kong survivors refused to be interviewed because it was too traumatic, Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday. The Philippine National Police were not allowed to interview the survivors when they were still in Manila last week, Manila regional police director Leocadio Santiago said earlier this week.
De Lima declined to name the two survivors, but said the Department of Justice was co-ordinating with the Hong Kong government to send the Philippine team of investigators as soon as possible. 'If we send a team to Hong Kong, we have to go to the right diplomatic channel. We are now preparing the proper arrangements for the trip. We are waiting for clearance from Hong Kong,' de Lima said.
However, she noted that the trip might not be necessary if Hong Kong police had already interviewed the survivors and were willing to share previously collected statements.
'Should the statements of these survivors have been given to Hong Kong police already, then the government [of the Philippines] may dispense with the sending of a team to Hong Kong. If the statements of the survivors given to Hong Kong are already clear and complete and there are no inconsistencies with what we have, then we will no longer take the statements of the survivors.'
In Hong Kong, Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong told the Legislative Council that officers from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau flew to Manila and took testimony soon after the bus hijacking, which ended in the death of eight Hongkongers and the hostage-taker, dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza. Lee did not disclose which of the hostage victims had been interviewed at the time. The Philippine government is rapidly moving to complete its investigation of the hostage-taking and police rescue efforts. The nation's leaders have said there were missteps in the rescue bid.
