Hostage probers fail to meet deadline; may submit report Friday

The Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) said it would turn over its report on the August 23 hostage tragedy on Friday after it failed to meet its self-imposed Wednesday deadline. On Tuesday evening, the IIRC chairperson, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, said the panel may submit its report to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Friday, two days after its original target day of submission, Wednesday. "I advised the President already that there is no certainty of being able to submit (the report on Wednesday). So ang (deadline) namin is maximum of Friday," De Lima told reporters. The report will be based on the forensic reports of government investigators and the details gathered during the five-day IIRC marathon hearings last week.

On August 23, dismissed police officer, Rolando Mendoza, hijacked a bus in Manila carrying 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos. Mendoza, who was demanding for his reinstatement, was killed along with eight Hong Kong tourists after an 11-hour standoff. The Philippine government and the police have received criticisms from the international community because of how the hostage crisis was handled. The broadcast media was also heavily criticized for airing live the arrest of Mendoza's brother at the height of the hostage crisis. Mendoza is believed to have started his shooting rampage after seeing his brother's arrest on television. Earlier, Integrated Bar of the Philippines representative Roan Libarios, an IIRC member, said the panel is determining the personalities and institutions liable for the incident. "We are already at the writing stage and we will consolidate (our own reports). Our agenda is to identify the liabilities and trace the sequence of events. Identifying the liabilities is doable this week, but our recommendations require long procedures," Libarios said on Tuesday. De Lima had said the President is expecting an "unassailable, thorough" report, a copy of which will be presented to Chinese authorities by a Philippine delegation headed by Vice-President Jejomar Binay. — Sophia Dedace/RSJ/VVP, GMANews.TV