DFA exec: RP-Hong Kong relations to normalize in 'months'

As dialogues continue despite Hong Kong government's "disappointment" over the final report on the Aug. 23 Manila hostage tragedy probe, the Philippine government expects ties with China's special administrative region to normalize in the next "few months." Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduardo Malaya said Friday the Philippines and Hong Kong will have to "closely cooperate" and work on the issues that cropped up from the tragedy in the meantime. "We need to continue to work on these issues. We need to closely cooperate. After all, that is what peoples and nations do all the time. Maybe time would be on our side and their side, too, so we can have normalcy within probably the next few months on these overall matters," Malaya said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He said the DFA is continually conducting dialogues with the Chinese government as well as with China's Special Administrative Region. Malaya indicated the matter was taken up during the recent Philippine-China foreign ministry consultations at a hotel in Pasay City. "Both sides mentioned the Aug. 23 incident was an isolated case and China does not expect it to affect friendly relations between the Philippines and China," he said in Filipino. Hong Kong had voiced disappointment that the final report on the tragedy sought sanctions for only a handful of personalities. Eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in the Aug. 23 incident along with their hostage-taker, dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza. Malaya said the Philippine government understands the "sentiments" of the Hong Kong government and people. But he stressed the Philippine government will undertake follow-up measures on the case. "We want to mention that we as a government and as a people have been truly transparent on this. A full and impartial investigation had been undertaken and the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report was given to the Chinese side beforehand upon their request," he said. "We believe that at the end of the day, it is the rendering of justice which is crucial. That is something we as a people as well as everybody else yearn for. I'm sure the president is committed to achieving this at the soonest time possible," he added. — LBG/JV, GMANews.TV