Philippine-Hong Kong relations start new
chapter, says HK leader
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying said
he believes putting closure to the Manila hostage-taking incident that happened
nearly four years ago means a fresh start in Philippine-Hong Kong relations.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Leung said that
despite the amount of time that has passed since the incident occurred, the
sufferings of the victims and their families remain close to the hearts of the
Hong Kong people.
“With the final resolution of the incident, I
sincerely hope that the deceased may rest in peace, and the injured and their
families can move on with courage and strength,” Leung said.
“I also believe that the bilateral relations
between the peoples of Hong Kong and the Philippines will start a new chapter.”
Leung said that since meeting President Benigno
S. Aquino III in Bali, Indonesia in October 2013, the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has been holding discussions with the
Philippine government to find a mutually satisfactory resolution to the four
demands made by the victims and their families.
The demands were an apology from the Philippine
government, compensation, sanctions against responsible officials and
individuals, and improved tourist safety.
In the consensus reached by the governments of
the Philippines and Hong Kong, together with the victims’ families, the four
demands have already been met, Leung said.
According to the joint statement issued by the
two sides, the Philippine government expressed its most sorrowful regret and
profound sympathy to the victims’ families.
In the spirit of solidarity and in
acknowledgement of the loss of the victims and their families, the Philippine
government promised an additional token of solidarity to the victims or their
families.
The Philippine government has also provided the
Hong Kong government details on the administrative and criminal proceedings
pursued, and gave an assurance that measures are being undertaken to hold to
account those responsible.
Concerning tourist safety measures, the
Philippine government made an assurance that it is committed to ensuring that
such an incident will not happen again and vowed to carry out stricter tourist
safety measures.
With the resolution of the issue, Leung lifted
the sanction against the Philippines to immediately start normal bilateral
relations.
He also reinstated the 14-day visa-free
arrangement applicable to holders of diplomatic or official passports of the
Republic of the Philippines for visiting Hong Kong.
The Black Outbound Travel Alert against the
Philippines was also lifted with the Outbound Travel Alert being applied to the
Philippines reverted to Amber, as was the case before the hostage-taking
incident. PND (as)
Enough security preparations in place for Obama
visit, says Palace
The government said enough security preparations
are being made for the visit of US President Barack Obama on Monday as militant
organizations threaten more protest action.
“We are preparing, as we will prepare (for) any
visiting head of state. They are here as our guests, and as host, we will
provide them the necessary security,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda
said in a press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday.
Asked by reporters if the Palace worries about
possible problems from these militant groups, Lacierda said the government
expects mass actions from groups opposing President Obama’s visit to the
country and is thus carrying out necessary security measures.
President Obama and President Aquino will be
talking about defense, trade and security matters, the Palace official said.
“These are the three things that matter
regarding our relations with the United States, so those things will be
discussed,” he said.
The US leader, who arrived in Japan on
Wednesday, is on a four-nation Asian tour to reassure allies of US commitment
to the Asia Pacific.
The visit highlights the US’ “pivot to Asia”, as
announced by the Obama administration a few years ago. It aims to counter
growing Chinese influence in the region.
President Obama’s other stops will be South
Korea and Malaysia. PND (as)
Luneta hostage-taking issue ends with a win-win
solution: Palace
The Luneta hostage-taking issue that strained
Philippine and Hong Kong relations for almost four years has ended with a
win-win solution, Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said Thursday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Secretary
Almendras said that both the Philippine and Hong Kong governments have
satisfied the demands of the victims and their families.
“We all came out winners,” he said.
In August 2010, 21 tourists from Hong Kong were
held hostage by a dismissed policeman inside a bus at the Quirino Grandstand in
Luneta. Eight tourists died and several others were wounded after a botched
rescue.
Since then, the Hong Kong Government and the
victims and their families had sought an official apology from the Philippine
Government, compensation, sanctions against responsible officials and
individuals, and improved tourist safety measures.
The victims and their families will be given a
“token of solidarity”, Secretary Almendras said, noting that the words “token
of solidarity” were used to replace “compensation,” given the sensitivity of
the issue.
He said not all the victims’ families are going
to accept the token because some of them do not believe that it is appropriate
for them to accept money.
Secretary Alemendras refused to state the exact
amount of the token of solidarity, having promised the families of the victims
that he would not reveal it due to the sensitivity of the issue in Hong Kong.
He however said that not a single peso or Hong Kong
dollar came from either the Philippine or Hong Kong governments.
The amount came from “businessmen, ordinary
citizens, people who cared, even people who were close to certain people in
organizations,” he said, adding that the victims’ families will receive the
token within the week.
He further said that Hong Kong Chief Executive
Leung Chun Ying expressed his gratitude to President Benigno S. Aquino III.
“Please tell President Aquino, I thank him very
much and I must acknowledge that he is truly a man of his word,” he quoted the
Hong Kong chief executive as saying.
The Cabinet Secretary earlier apologized for the
secrecy surrounding his series of trips to Hong Kong because “there was a lot
of emotion and a lot of sensitivity to families and persons who were involved.”
“There were 21 victims, 21 families, 21 lives,
21 different perspectives, 21 different opinions,” he said.
“Hindi po one size fits all. Every single
consideration po, every member of the family or every victim’s family had to be
put in place,” he added.
With the resolution of the hostage-taking
incident, Hong Kong lifted the sanction that require Philippine officials and
diplomatic passport holders to apply for visas when visiting Hong Kong, as well
as the “black” travel alert that warned Hong Kong citizens against travelling
to the Philippines.
Secretary Almendras said the issue is now
closed. “Once and for all, completely, absolutely, tapos na ito,” he said. PND
(ag)
Injured Hong Kong tourist thanks President
Aquino for helping her recover
A Hong Kong tourist who was injured during the
hostage-taking incident in Manila more than three years ago, thanked the Aquino
government for helping her undergo reconstructive surgery, Cabinet Secretary
Rene Almendras said on Thursday.
Secretary Almendras, who is the government’s
point person between the Philippines and Hong Kong, said that Yik Siu-ling
thanked the President for helping her recover from the tragedy.
Yik was hit by a bullet in the jaw during the
incident.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Chun Yin Leung
mentioned Yik during his discussion with President Aquino in Indonesia last
year and the President decided to extend her some assistance, according to
Secretary Almendras.
Leung made a graphic description of Yik’s
injury, prompting the President to act, he said.
The Cabinet Secretary said that when he met Yik
in Hong Kong, he told her that it was her story and circumstances that prompted
the Philippine government to reopen the discussions on the issue.
He said he went to Hong Kong last November to
arrange for Yik’s surgery in Taipei.
“We arranged for certain facilities and then she
was able to leave for Taipei to get her surgery, which was very successful and
she did say thank you,” Almendras told reporters.
Yik’s recent statement is a far cry from what
she was saying in the past, he said.
The Philippine government was extra cautious in
dealing with the victims and their families, considering the sensitivity of the
hostage-taking issue.
This is the reason why the Philippine government
is not using the word “compensation” when referring to monetary assistance for
the victims, Almendras noted.
“I need to let you know. Not all the families
are going to accept the token of solidarity. Why? Because some of them do not
believe that it is appropriate for them to accept money in exchange for this;
and we are truly, truly appreciative of that,” he said.
Leung announced on Wednesday that Hong Kong has
lifted the sanctions imposed on the Philippines.
And as both sides bring closure to the issue,
Leung said the Philippines and Hong Kong could now start a new chapter in their
relations. PND (as)
