Manila officials, police face hostage crisis raps

[September 16, 2010]  MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- The Philippine justice chief said Thursday she'll recommend criminal and administrative charges against about 10 officials, police officers and journalists over last month's killing of eight Hong Kong tourists in a botched hostage rescue that outraged China.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the identities of those to be charged, details on the charges and other information about the Aug. 23 standoff in which the hostage-taker, a fired policeman, also died, will be included in a report to be submitted to President Benigno Aquino III on Friday.

The Philippine authorities' bungled handling of the standoff, which was beamed for hours on live TV, outraged China and the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, straining ties with Manila. It delivered Aquino's first major crisis less than two months into his presidency.

De Lima headed a five-member fact-finding committee, which was created by Aquino as his administration scrambled to contain the fallout from the crisis, that highlighted problems within the country's underfunded police force and his new Cabinet.

De Lima said the officials to be charged "are high enough" and will include police officers and journalists who covered the standoff.

The justice secretary gave no details on possible charges, but said the recommendations are "based on the evaluation of the actions, the non-action, the missteps, the lapses, the negligence, the incompetence" of the individuals involved.

De Lima previously said that preliminary ballistics reports have indicated that some hostages may have been hit with "friendly fire" from security forces during the rescue.

She said Thursday that the report's findings, based on survivor accounts will indicate that the hostages "were really killed by the hostage-taker," but added that those findings were not yet complete.

"What we are really scrutinizing now -- because the ballistics are incomplete -- is if there are stray bullets from the assault team" which hit the hostages, she said, adding her committee's investigation has yet to account for "a few more bullet holes."

In a bid to ease outrage over the bungled rescue, Aquino has said that heads will roll after the investigation is completed.

Aquino has issued apologies over the deaths but said last week that he will now focus on easing tensions with China and Hong Kong, which has issued an advisory discouraging travel to the Philippines, a popular destination for many Hong Kong tourists.

[Associated Press; By TERESA CEROJANO]

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