Hostage probe committee resumes proceedings

The Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) on Monday resumed its inquiry into the August 23 hostage tragedy in Manila. On August 23, a dismissed policeman, Rolando Mendoza, hijacked the Hong Thai Travel bus carrying 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos. At the end of an 11-hour standoff, Mendoza and eight Hong Kong tourists were killed. The hostage-taker was demanding for his reinstatement and the dismissal of a pending case against him at the Office of the Ombudsman. Secretary Leila de Lima of the Department of Justice (DOJ) chairs the review committee, with Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as her vice-chairman. The other members include: Citizens Action Against Crime head Teresita Ang-See (Filipino-Chinese community representative), Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas president Herman Basbano (media representative), and Integrated Bar of the Philippines governor for Eastern Mindanao Roan Liabrios (legal community representative). At a news briefing on Monday, De Lima said the panel will fast-track the proceedings to avoid any delay. "We're ruling out any extension so we can already prepare our report," De Lima said. She added that two Philippine teams will go to Hong Kong on Monday to get the statements of the survivors. She also said that out of the eight cell phones gathered from the crime scene and brought to Hong Kong, only five belonged to the tourists. The three mobile phones, whose owners are still unidentified, will be brought to the Philippines for "an electronic forensic examination." De Lima likewise said the panel does not want to be sidetracked by political issues such as the calls for Robredo to inhibit himself from the proceedings. "We don't want to be sidetracked by any political sideshow," said De Lima. Those expected to face the investigating panel on Monday are the following: *SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, the hijacker's brother *PO2 Dennis Rivera, the policeman tasked to deliver Mendoza's documents to the DOJ. It was revealed last Saturdday that Mendoza wanted the DOJ to review his pending case, but the documents never reached the department; *Superintendent Orlando Yebra, chief negotiator during the hostage crisis *Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez *Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III, who had denied receiving a P150,000 extortion money from Mendoza *Members of the Manila Police District's SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team *Bus driver Alberto Lubang *Lourdes Amansec, representative of the Hong Thai Travel tourist bus On Tuesday, the following broadcasters will face the panel: Erwin Tulfo, RMN's Michael Rogas and Jake Maderazo, and GMA-7's Susan Enriquez. On Tuesday afternoon, the review committee will go to the Quirino Grandstand to inspect the site of the carnage. On Wednesday, the Manila Police District's Scene of the Crime Operatives will present their findings to the committee. In the afternoon that day, the panel will go to the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, where the ill-fated bus has been brought, to reenactment of the final hours of the hostage crisis. –VVP, GMANews.TV