Society

HK officers head for Manila to help hostages

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-23 20:11

HONG KONG - Three officers from Hong Kong Department of Immigration had flown to Manila to help tourists taken hostage and were supposed to arrive around 5 pm local time, said Lau Mei-sze, manager of Hong Thai travel agency in a press conference Monday afternoon.

Four tourists, a woman and three children, step out of a bus containing passengers who have been taken hostage, after they are released near Quirino Grandstand in Manila August 23, 2010. [Agencies]

Lau said Hong Thai also sent one of their managers to Manila, together with representatives from insurance companies.

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A four-day tour group organized by Hong Thai was hijacked in the Philippine capital Manila on Monday morning. Twenty tourists and one guide from Hong Kong were on board a tour bus when they were taken hostage by a dismissed Filipino policeman.

So far, nine were released. There are still 15 passengers in the bus.

The Philippine police had made public some of the names of the released, which included 40-year-old mother for two Tsang Yee Lai. Lau said she had spoke to Tsang on the phone earlier and was told the gunman let go Tsang, her children all of a sudden without explaining why. She brought her children and another boy left the bus, lying that he was with her too. Unfortunately, Tsang's husband was still on board.

The children and the mother had received psychological treatment on site and will be sent for a rest soon, said Lau. However, it was not sure whether the freed tourists will return home tonight, because their passports were left on the bus.    

Chief Executive Donald Tsang expressed his great concern over the incident in the afternoon. He said he and Ambrose Lee, Secretary for Security Bureau, will directly in charge of tackling the problem, adding that the government has set up a special task force for the incident.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) identified the hijacker as former Police Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza who was dismissed from service for extortion and forcing a chef to swallow "shabu".

Mendoza asked for a ride on the bus at first, said Lau, but then forced to get on despite resistance from the tour guide. He then declared he would take the passengers hostage and asked all people to gather at the rear, when the tour leader found time to make a phone call seeking help.

Mendoza was carrying an M-16 rifle when he hijacked the tourist bus Monday morning. The abduction occurred near Rizal Park, a major tourist site in Manila.

Two police officers, Superintendent Orlando Yebra Jr. and Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador, have held negotiations with Mendoza.

Mendoza is demanding authorities to clear his name and be reinstated to the service.

According to Lau, there are currently three tour group of 53 Hong Konger travelling in Manila and some of the agenda will be adjusted.