Hostage-taker's brod to testify in HK probe via video conference

SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, brother of slain hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza, will testify before a Hong Kong court investigating the Aug. 23, 2010 Manila hostage-taking crisis on Wednesday through video conferencing. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday said Gregorio will give his testimony in Makati City at 10 a.m. “SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza has manifested his willingness to testify. He will be the first to be scheduled in that testimony via video link," said De Lima, who led a Philippine investigation on the incident that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead and put to test the country’s diplomatic ties with China. Gregorio could not testify at the Hong Kong inquest in person due to passport issues. De Lima said she will not supervise Gregorio because her presence is “not needed" when he gives his testimony. Instead, two Justice prosecutors will oversee the proceeding because the Hong Kong Coroner Court has tasked the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) to coordinate with Filipino witnesses who will testify in the Hong Kong investigation. On the morning of Aug. 23, 2010, Gregorio’s brother, Rolando, took a busload of Hong Kong tourists hostage in Manila. The standoff lasted for 11 hours, ending with Rolando, a dismissed policeman, firing at his hostages. A police assault team later killed him. Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, had invited more than 100 Filipinos to testify at its inquest into the hostage crisis, but most of them declined the invitation. Six survivors and relatives of the victims have already issued a joint letter demanding Manila to send witnesses to the inquest and to provide crucial evidence, such as Rolando’s DNA sample. The DOJ had earlier recommended the filing of a criminal case against Gregorio, whom a prosecution panel said acted as Rolando’s accomplice. — KBK, GMA News