Probe may look into HK chief’s failed calls to Aquino — Palace

Malacañang's failure to immediately contact Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang at the height of the August 23 hostage crisis in Manila’s Rizal Park may be included in the Department of Justice's investigation of the bloody incident that claimed nine lives, a Palace official said Tuesday. President Benigno Aquino III’s failure to talk to Tsang on the day of the hostage-taking drew intense flak from Hong Kong’s top official, who remarked that the Philippine government’s handling of the crisis that involved 21 tourists from Hong Kong was “regrettable" and “disappointing." "The president has apologized for any lapses that may have taken place in his failure to communicate to Mr. Tsang early enough. I think Mr. Tsang has accepted that apology," said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning head Ricky Carandang in a press briefing in Malacañang when asked for a timeline of Tsang's call to the Philippine government. "I suppose this will also be subject to the investigation," said Carandang. Carandang had previously given Malacañang’s explanation why Tsang failed to contact Aquino. A reliable source in the Cabinet told GMANews.TV that Tsang's office called Malacañang around 4 p.m. on the day of the hostage crisis. An aide of President Aquino referred the caller to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and even gave Romulo's mobile number, said the source. The Palace aide then called Romulo's aide to relay Aquino's instruction for Romulo to take Tsang's call, the source added. Romulo waited for hours but Tsang's office supposedly didn't call the DFA. When the hostage-taking ended later that night, with eight hostages dead and eight others injured, that was the only time that the Office of the President instructed Romulo to call Tsang, which Romulo did, the source said. A delegation of high-level officials led by Vice President Jejomar Binay will fly to Hong Kong to meet with the special Chinese region’s officials after the DOJ completes its probe to present the Philippine government's findings on the incident.—Jam L. Sisante/JV, GMANews.TV