Hostage probe committee preparing addendum to report

The Incident Investigation and Review Committee is preparing the findings and testimonies to be added to its report on the August 23 hostage tragedy, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Tuesday. At a news briefing in Manila, De Lima said the following will be added by the end of the week: the full ballistics report by the Philippine National Police and the testimonies of survivors Lee Ying-chuen and Ng Yau-woon (Amy Leung). "As of yesterday [Monday], there is a draft addendum already. We decided to defer the submission and wait first for the ballistics exam. So instead of releasing two addendums, we decided to release [a] single addendum that will cover everything, including [the] results of the ballistics exam," De Lima said. In the limitations portion of its report made public last week, the IIRC said it was not able to incorporate the testimonies of the two survivors because their affidavits were still being translated when the IIRC was finishing the report. The inter-agency panel also said partial ballistics report was not yet integrated because the PNP is ill-equipped to conduct a complete one with a limited period of time. "For lack of material time, it does not incorporate forthcoming findings on ballistic tests on bullet fragments," the IIRC report said. On Tuesday, De Lima said the committee is still trying to get Mrs. Leung's consent to obtain the medical report of her son, Jason, who sustained severe head injuries. Jason Leung reportedly remains confined at a Hong Kong hospital. The Leung family lost the father, Ken, and two daughters, Jessie and Doris. "We're awaiting the consent of Amy Leung for the release of hospital records of her son for further determination of the cause of his head injury, to determine whether it was caused by the hostage-taker or the [police's] sledgehammer," De Lima said. She also said the addendum will not affect the IIRC's recommendations on the people to be held liable for the tragedy. Malacañang decided to withhold the Accountability and Recommendations portions so that these may be reviewed by the Palace legal team while President Benigno Aquino III is in the United States for a working visit. Aquino returned to the country before dawn on Tuesday, and the Palace said it may release the full report later in the day. (See: Palace lawyers done with review of IIRC report) — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV