Asia-Pacific

Philippine officials help freed hostages recover

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-23 20:19

MANILA - Philippine government officials are helping the seven Chinese hostages who were released in a tourist bus hijacked Monday morning by a dismissed policeman.  

According to Secretary Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman "are conducting a stress debriefing" for the freed hostages.

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"They (freed hostages) have been brought back to their hotel and being provided food and accommodations for free," Carandang said in a text message sent to reporters.

He added Lim and Soliman are helping the freed hostages, which include three children, "to cope with the stressful situation and make the remainder of their stay as comfortable as possible."

After hours of negotiations with local police, the hostage taker, identified as former Police Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, released nine passengers, seven of whom are tourists from Hong Kong and two Filipino travel company employees.

There are still 15 Hong Kongers and a Filipino driver in the bus. The hostage situation has been ongoing for the last ten hours.

Mendoza, who was dismissed from service for extortion and forcing a chef to swallow "shabu", was demanding for a reinstatement.

In a separate interview, Bai Tian, deputy mission chief at the Chinese Embassy said he has already informed Hong Kong chief executive  Donald Tsang about the situation. He said that Tsang, speaking on behalf of the Hong Kong government, expressed thanks to Chinese embassy officials in Manila. Tsang hopes the matter will be resolved soon.