Day of mourning for Philippines hijack victims

Hong Kong protesters slam Filipino authorities and newspapers accuse Manila police of incompetence as the territory plunged into mourning for the eight murdered tourists.

MANILA // Tomorrow has been declared a "national day of mourning" in the Philippines as a sign of solidarity with Hong Kong over its eight citizens killed in a hostage crisis in Manila. The announcement, made by a presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, came amid widespread anger in Hong Kong over Monday's ordeal, in which an ex-policeman hijacked a busload of tourists from the southern Chinese city. "In light of the incident, the president issued proclamation 23 declaring August 25, 2010 as a day of national mourning," Mr Lacierda said. He said all government offices would fly the Philippine national flag at half mast tomorrow, although they would remain open for business. Mr Lacierda said the Philippines president, Benigno Aquino also met China's envoy to Manila, Liu Jianchao, today to brief him on the hostage crisis. "The president reassured the Chinese officials that the Philippine government will extend all assistance to victims and relatives of victims," Mr Lacierda said. He said Mr Aquino also promised the Chinese a speedy investigation into the incident as well as protection of its nationals visiting the Philippines.

However, in Hong Kong protesters today slammed the Philippines, and newspapers accused Manila police of incompetence as the territory plunged into mourning for the eight tourists. One Hong Kong survivor of yesterday's day-long bus siege in the Philippine capital said her husband and two daughters, aged 21 and 14, were killed as the crisis reached a bloody climax live on television. Her 18-year-old son was in intensive care in hospital and her husband died a hero trying to shield his family, said the survivor, identifying herself only as Mrs Leung.

"The Philippine government ? I can't accept this. Why did they do this to us?" she told Hong Kong officials who flew to the Manila hospital, in an emotional encounter shown on Cable News TV. "[The gunman] did not want to kill us. He only shot us after the negotiations failed," she said, sobbing. Flags on government buildings flew at half-mast in mourning for the victims, who were part of a Hong Kong tour group, and the stock exchange paused for a minute's silence at the start of today's trading.

A steady stream of protesters organised by political and civic groups marched to Hong Kong's Philippine consulate, where police numbers were stepped up, to vent their anger over yesterday's events. "We are very angry about how the Philippine government handled this case," said Alex Tou, head of the Kowloon Federation of Associations, who led one group of 40 shouting demonstrators. The Hong Kong government raised a "black" travel alert for the Philippines, urging against all travel to one of Southeast Asia's most popular tourist spots.

The chief executive Donald Tsang said: "We demand that the Philippine authorities conduct a detailed and comprehensive investigation on the incident. They must provide a full account to us as soon as possible." He also urged all Hong Kong tour groups in the Philippines to return home. The government organised two chartered flights by Hong Kong's flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, to take relatives of the hostages, as well as psychologists, doctors and social workers to Manila.

Officials said one of the flights would depart from Manila this evening to bring at least two survivors and family members home. Lurid photographs of the bloodbath dominated the front pages of newspapers in Hong Kong, home to an estimated 150,000 Filipinos mostly working as domestic helpers. The Philippines said it was sending a delegation to Hong Kong soon to explain the hijack crisis in fuller detail, after a disgraced former senior police inspector seized the tour bus to press for his old job back.

"We're concerned that ? because of the public anger in Hong Kong over what happened, there will be threats against Filipinos living and working there," a presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang said. A few Chinese-language papers in Hong Kong changed their mast-head colour from red to black in mourning. Editorials echoed Mr Tsang in querying the response of Philippine authorities, after the Hong Kong leader had called the handling of the crisis "very disappointing".

Newspapers bemoaned missed opportunities by police to end the siege much earlier, including when the gunman had presented a target to snipers by waving from the bus door. "Their appalling professional standards, and the lack of strategic planning, made observers both angry and sad. This tragedy could have been avoided," the Hong Kong Economic Journal said. The Apple Daily said: "It makes people question the competence of the police."

China's embassy in Manila urged the government "to take concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese citizens" in the Philippines. * AFP