Philippines marks first anniversary of deadly bus hostage crisis

Aug 23, 2011, 6:41 GMT

Manila - The Philippines on Tuesday marked the first anniversary of a bloody bus hostage crisis that killed eight Hong Kong tourists and left a black mark on the government of President Benigno Aquino III.

Buddhist monks offered prayers at the seaside park in Manila where the tragedy occurred on August 23, 2010, as survivors and relatives of victims wept openly.

The ceremony was also attended by Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community in Manila, anti-crime groups and police officers who tried to resolve the crisis.

Police Director General Raul Bacalzo and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo offered mass at the national police headquarters for the victims of the hostage-taking, which occurred barely two months after Aquino took over as the country's new leader.

'We sympathized and we continue to sympathize with them,' Aquino said. He said the authorities would have hoped to perform better than they did, and 'deeply regret' the incident.

But he rejected the demand of the survivors and relatives of the victims for a formal apology.

'An apology connotes that the state did them grievous harm. I don't think that is correct. This was an act of one man,' he said.

The survivors and relatives of the victims of the tragedy on Monday met with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to condemn the government's failure to prosecute senior officials involved in the botched negotiations.

The tragedy started when a dismissed police officer seized a bus carrying 25 people, mostly Hong Kong tourists, at a seaside park in Manila in a bid to get his job back.

Nine hostages were freed through negotiations, but the standoff ended in violence when Rolando del Rosario Mendoza began shooting from inside the bus, prompting police to launch an assault.

Eight Hong Kong tourists and Mendoza were killed in the botched rescue.

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