Survivors, kin of Manila hostage tragedy victims arrive in PHL

Survivors and relatives of last year’s Manila hostage tragedy arrived in the Philippines Sunday evening, and demanded anew a formal apology from the Philippine officials deemed “responsible" for the tragedy. Tse Chi-kin, brother of slain tour guide Masa Tse, was part of a group of six that arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong past 8 p.m. Sunday, radio dzBB’s Cecilia Villarosa reported. “[We are] still very unhappy and very upset...those [who should answer] are still not [held] responsible for what they have done," Tse said. When asked how they want the issue resolved, he said: “Those involved in the incident ... need to apologize." He also lamented the issue “was not resolved," and they hope to resolve this issue soonest. Tse said they had requested to meet with President Benigno Aquino III through their consulate in Hong Kong, “but so far [we] haven’t received any reply from the president." The dzBB report said Masa Tse’s mother, who was with the group, was emotional. It added that the group from Hong Kong was to hold a press conference Monday morning and meet with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in the afternoon. On Aug. 23 last year, a dismissed policeman, Rolando Mendoza, took a busload of Hong Kong tourists hostage near the historic Quirino Grandstand in Manila. Failed negotiations between Mendoza and the police resulted in the deaths of eight hostages, all at the hands of Mendoza, who was killed by responding policemen. The standoff lasted for 11 hours. The Manila hostage tragedy was considered as the first major crisis that rocked the then barely two-month-old administration of President Aquino. - KBK, GMA News