HK OFWs to hold sympathy rally for hostage crisis victims

Filipino workers’ groups in Hong Kong will hold an interfaith prayer rally on Sunday to express their "deepest sympathy" with loved ones of the victims of Monday's hostage crisis in Manila. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said the rally is scheduled at Charter Road, with participants wearing white ribbons on their shirts. "Eman Villanueva, secretary-general of United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil-HK), asked the attendees to pin a white ribbon on their shirts to show their expression of sympathy and solidarity to the victims' families and the Hong Kong people," the CBCP said on its website. The co-organizers of the event are the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union (FMWU). Since Monday night, Hong Kong groups have swamped the offices of Philippine authorities there demanding justice for the victims of the hostage-taking incident on Monday. Unifil-HK joined those demanding for justice for the Manila hostage victims. Group chairwoman Dolores Pelaez said Filipino workers in Hong Kong were "appalled" over the standoff, which lasted around 11 hours. “This act of hostage-taking that victimizes innocent civilians must be condemned and we call for justice to the victims and all assistance should be made available to them especially those who survived to help in their speedy recovery from their trauma," Pelaez said. Pelaez called for a thorough investigation of how the police carried out the negotiations and the assault. She said authorities must resolve whether the crisis could have been handled better and faster. "Even the allegations of slain hostage-taker (dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando) Mendoza of injustices committed against him must be probed," she said. "This, the police and Philippine government officials owe especially to the victims," she added. She also said Philippine authorities must take the necessary steps to prevent this kind of crisis from happening again. “It is their duty to keep safe and protect the lives of all civilians in the Philippines," she said. –VVP, GMANews.TV