Probers to note driver's psychological state in hostage report

The Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) will consider the present psychological condition of bus driver Alberto Lubang in its report about the five-day marathon probe of the August 23 hostage tragedy. On Thursday, IIRC chairperson, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima, said Lubang's account that hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza shot his victims at close range, contradicted the forensic investigator's initial findings that the eight fatalities were not shot point-blank, although the findings are still inconclusive. On August 23, Mendoza hijacked the Hong Thai Travel tour bus in Intramuros, Manila. He later commandeered it to the Quirino Grandstand, where an 11-hour standoff took place. Mendoza also handcuffed Lubang's left hand to the bus' steering wheel. However, Lubang used a nail file to free himself and escape from the bus at the height of the crisis. On Tuesday, Lubang faced the IIRC panel and testified that he did not hear any shouting or crying when Mendoza fired his first shots. However, in the recording of Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN)'s interview with Mendoza, the shouting and crying of the hostages from Hong Kong were heard. "As you know, per the testimony of Mr. Lubang and his demonstration yesterday at Camp Bagong Diwa, ang sabi talagang malapitan lang (he said the shooting was at a close range) -- which are not consistent with the forensic findings," said De Lima. De Lima said the mental condition of Lubang, who had not undergone any psychological debriefing since the August 23 bus siege, will be considered by the committee as it draws up its report. De Lima said, "Baka naka-apekto iyong ordeal na iyon. Sa unang oras pa lang ay baka in a state of shock siya the whole time." (The ordeal may have affected him. From the first hours, he may have been in a state of shock for the whole time). "What I'm saying is that there is a need to further evaluate the accounts of Mr. Lubang," she added. She likewise said the panel is not ruling out any possibility that Lubang may have already known Mendoza before the hostage-taking and that he could be a conspirator. "We are probers and we cannot rule out any angle," the Justice secretary said. PNP-NBI parallel exam The IIRC wrapped up five days of marathon hearings on Wednesday night, with the Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operatives and Crime Laboratory personnel presenting their findings. Superintendent Emmanuel Aranas, the police crime lab’s assistant director for operations, said it was still premature to conclude whether the eight victims were indeed killed by Mendoza's firearm. Both the NBI and the PNP have admitted their ballistics tests are still inconclusive and need to be studied further. On Thursday, De Lima said the panel also has to consider the possibility that the victims may have died of friendly fire. “We should not miss on the possibility that some died of friendly fire, otherwise we will be not that thorough," De Lima said. Internal session with PNP, NBI Thus, De Lima said the review committee intends to compare the NBI and the PNP's results with those of the the Hong Kong investigators. She added that the committee may tap private forensic experts to assist in the investigation. "We have such plan, we might invite them on Monday," said De Lima. "There will be an internal session on Monday with the PNP-SOCO team and the NBI Technical Service. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered by both teams. At this point, we have yet to determine from whose gun were the shots that killed and injured the victims. We do not know yet whether all of this came from the guns of the hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza," she added. Hostage probe report De Lima said that the panel will start its deliberations on Thursday afternoon, and the report will be drafted on Friday and even over the weekend. It may be completed on Wednesday to Friday next week. The DOJ secretary said it is up to President Benigno Aquino III whether the report should be made public. "It will be the President's call whether or not to make it public. He is expecting an unassailable report, so we are going to do that -- submit an unassailable report to him," she said. –VVP, GMANews.TV