PHL: HK Sanction “Unfortunate”

The Hong Kong government’s sanction to cancel its visa-free entry for Philippine officials and diplomats as its punishment for the Philippines in connection with the 2010 hostage incident has been described by the Philippine government as “unfortunate”.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez, in a press briefing, said Hong Kong’s sanction is unfortunate “because a substantive closure on the Quirino Grandstand incident had already been arrived at three years ago.” Hernandez added a closure was already reached by the Philippine government and the previous Hong Kong government, together with the families of the victims.

On Wednesday’s press briefing, Hernandez narrated the efforts of the Philippine government to address the demands of the Hong Kong government, saying despite arriving at a closure three years ago, the Philippine government still “responded… without equivocation” and “in a most generous manner” to Hong Kong’s renewed appeal for compassion in October last year.

“Additional tokens of solidarity have therefore been pledged by the Filipino people at the behest of the Philippine government. These amounts that are being offered are substantially more than those that have been previously accepted by the victims and their families,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the government had been made to understand that the victims and their families have agreed to their offer, pointing
that the Philippines had agreed for a total renegotiation over the demand for an apology, which Hong Kong had opened.

Hernandez said, the Philippines is “not prepared to consider” such demand adding that the country already expressed its deepest regret and condolences over the hostage tragedy.

He said the Philippines “remains committed to manifest compassion for the victims and their families and is ready to turn over the additional tokens of solidarity from the Filipino people. We hope that we will be able to do this as soon as possible.”

In August 2010, police officer Rolando Mendoza, after being fired from service, seized a bus and held hostage 25 Hong Kong tourists at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. Eight of the tourist were killed during the rescue operation by the police. Mendoza was also killed during the incident.