An apology would be ‘mere words’—Robredo

MANILA, Philippines—Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo maintained the Philippine government would not apologize to the families of those who perished in Manila’s bus hostage tragedy last year.

An apology, which is one of the demands of the families of the eight Hong Kong tourists who died in the bungled rescue, would be “mere words,” said Robredo as the nation remembered Tuesday the first anniversary of the bloodbath.

“I believe we have shown, not through words, that the nation regrets the incident,” Robredo told reporters at St. Joseph Church in Camp Crame Monday morning after hearing a Catholic mass for the victims and survivors of the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking.

He said it seemed not right for the families to demand for an apology from the Aquino administration whose officials were blamed for a series of blunder that led to the death of the Hong Kong tourists and hostage taker Rolando Mendoza. Seven hostages and two bystanders were injured.

On Tuesday morning, a delegation consisting of four bereaved family members, a survivor, a lawyer and Hong Kong legislator James To Kun-Sun, led a Buddhist remembrance ceremony at the Quirino Grandstand where the almost 12-hour standoff between Mendoza and the police came to a bloody end on August 23, 2010.

“It has been one year, but we have not received any apology — not an email, not a letter, not even a call,” said Tse Chi Kin, whose brother Masa Tse Ting-chunn, was the tour guide on the bus and was among those slain.

Tse said the family came back seeking closure of sorts, but they had largely failed after President Benigno Aquino rejected their appeal to meet with them and personally apologize.

He reiterated a demand for an apology from Aquino as well as monetary compensation for their suffering.

Mendoza, a decorated Manila police officer sacked over corruption allegations, seized the bus in a crazed bid to be reinstated.

As the drama unfolded live on television, police stormed the vehicle and shot Mendoza dead, but eight hostages also died during the rescue attempt.

The incident triggered public outrage in Hong Kong, which maintains a travel advisory on the Philippines.

Aquino ordered an investigation into the incident, but was criticized in Hong Kong after only minor punishments were handed out to four policemen, while senior officials accused of incompetence escaped without sanction.

At Camp Crame, Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo expressed regret over the incident that has been a black eye for the PNP.

Bacalzo said the hostage tragedy had opened their eyes “to the weaknesses in our systems and procedures, and the inadequacies in our training and equipment.”

The incident will “forever be etched in our memory as an institution,” the PNP chief said.

“We have learned our lessons and we have taken the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence,” said Bacalzo, adding that the police force had corrected its deficiencies, and “filled in the weaknesses and the gaps that we noticed.”

Tan Ching, president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., said he also heard the mass to show support to the PNP.

He said that what had happened last year was “not intentional… we need to move forward.”

For a related report, listen to 990AM.

With a report from Danica Hermogenes and Agence France-Presse