Time mismatches in witness testimony into Manila tragedy
Feb 26, 2011
A Philippine SWAT team chief has testified that he was alerted to the Manila stand-off almost 45 minutes earlier than the time at which other witnesses say their bus was hijacked.
The discrepancy was noted yesterday on the 10th day of Hong Kong’s inquest into the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists in the siege in August last year. Transcripts from the Philippines’ inquiry into the massacre were admitted as evidence.
The statements included those from tour bus driver Alberto Lubang and SWAT chief Santiago Pascual, who said that the hostage taking was first reported at 9.07am. Snipers had also told the Philippine inquiry, held in September, that they – and the bus – were already at the Quirino Grandstand at 9.15am, the inquest heard.
However, both Lubang and Philippine tour guide Diana Chan had also testified that the group of 21 did not board the bus at Fort Santiago until 9.45am – after they had visited the site. The gunman then followed them onto the bus and instructed Lubang to drive to the grandstand.
The discrepancies in the times prompted Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who led the Philippine inquiry, to ask: “How can there be a hostage taking at 9.07 for the first report if Mendoza only arrived there at Fort [Santiago] at 9.30?”
No immediate explanation for these inconsistencies was offered to the Hong Kong inquest.
Pascual said in his statement that after the police assault teams arrived at the scene, they continuously rehearsed their plan to enter the bus until lunchtime.
“During those practice runs, team movements [were] synchronised and perfected with emphasis on the particular role each individual should perform,” the court heard.
Because the rehearsals were done using a parked bus nearby, officers could not practise breaking the windows, the court heard. Later, during the operation, they realised the bus windows were made of “thick and tempered flex glass, which made breaching by sledgehammer very difficult”.
Survivor Lee Ying-chuen, 36, testified earlier she was angry at the police for throwing tear gas as it affected the hostages and could have alerted the gunman to their presence.
But Pascual said in his statement that tear gas was used as a last resort to flush the gunman out of the bus, or to force him to move and expose himself to snipers.
He added that floodlights set up by the media near the bus gave the gunman “an undue advantage”, and allowed him to see the SWAT team’s movements, the court heard.
Yesterday’s inquest also heard that after Lubang fled the bus and screamed “they were all killed!”, for 20 minutes no one asked him to verify how he knew this.
Police officers took him to a command post, but they asked him to give only his name and address in the first 20 minutes.
Later, when he was asked if all the hostages were dead, he said: “Yes, all were killed, but I hope some are still alive,” the court heard. He told the inquiry that no one tried to validate that information.
Asked at the inquiry why he did not say “they are being killed”, the driver said it was because he saw how Mendoza shot the hostages left and right while walking down the aisle. He thought they were all dead when the gunman had stopped shooting.
Seven of the 15 hostages survived the shootings, along with six who were freed earlier.
Mendoza began shooting hostages after he saw the arrest of his brother Gregorio on the bus’ television monitor, Lubang told the Philippine inquiry.
“I heard a shot inside the bus and I just saw the tour leader [Masa Tse Ting-chunn] fall … when I glanced at the rear-view mirror of the bus, I saw PSI Mendoza shooting the tourist passengers and when [I] turned to look behind, I saw someone fell already whilst PSI Mendoza continued shooting,” the court heard.
Tse, 31, had been handcuffed to a railing near the door since about 5pm. Mendoza was seeking reinstatement after being dismissed for corruption.
Source:
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=a3d8a07f35d5e210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=Hong+Kong&s=News
SCMP
Maggie Ng
Recent surge of investments going into Clark Philippines drained Clark Freeport of prime land available for long-term leases. Investors now look for partnerships and acquisition opportunities with existing businesses located in Clark Philippines.
Three new casinos, another world-class 36-hole golf course, several new hotels and resorts of varying class of luxury have opened in Philippines Clark Freeport over the last six months. Samsung Electronics just broke ground for a US$5 billion electronics plant, coincidentally in a location adjacent to the US$2 billion plant of US chip manufacturer Texas Instruments. Hundreds of hectares of prime land in the 4200-hectare main zone of Clark Freeport have quickly been occupied. Almost the entire central business district has gone off the map of available land in this fast-growth investment destination.
With its near-zero crime rate, low pollution levels, absence of traffic congestion and a favorable tax structure, Clark Freeport is well known among foreign investors as the destination of choice. Now that the Clark International Airport (DMIA) has flung into full operations with dozens of flights linking Clark to all major cities in Asia and some beyond, Clark Freeport, Pampanga has come of age.
This web site contains articles and information that will be helpful to visitors, residents and tourists traveling out of town from Manila on a short getaway to Subic, Angeles City, Pampanga and Clark Philippines. There are several web sites that contain information that might also be pertinent to what is happening in North Luzon.
For assistance with organizing and planning weddings and garden receptions, log on to http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com
For assistance with lodgings, accommodations, hotels and resorts near Manila in Subic, Pampanga, Angels City and Clark Philippines log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com
If this article about Clark is useful to you, please click here to contact us to tell us what more you wish to know about this article or Clark Philippines, which can be something about Clark investment, about Clark resorts, about Clark Swimming and Leisure or simply general news about Clark.
Please send questions to Editor@ClarkPhilippines.com. Leave your name, email address, contact numbers and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Information received will not be disclosed.
Random
Search
Contact Clark Philippines
Delectable Executive Meals
Philippine Peso Exchange Rate