Gunman opened fire after seeing snipers
6:51pm, Feb 22, 2011
Survivor who was injured in the Manila bus tragedy told an inquest on Tuesday that the gunman began his lethal killing spree after he saw police snipers in a television report.
Yik Siu-ling, 33, was the last survivor to testify before the inquest into the deaths of eight Hongkongers held hostage by sacked police officer Rolando Mendoza on August 23 last year.
Yik was injured in her lower jaw and slurred when testifying before Coroner Michael Chan Pik-kiu.
Wearing a facemask and accompanied by her elder sister, she told the court someone passed a letter to Mendoza from a window beside the driver’s seat in the afternoon.
Mendoza became enraged after reading it. He aimed his gun at the window and fired a warning shot. The shot hit a piece of metal, the court heard.
Around 7pm Mendoza, while talking on his mobile phone, saw a man arrested by police on television. Yik told the court Fu Cheuk-yan, who died in the bloodbath, said the man was Mendoza’s brother.
Yik said that when Mendoza later saw snipers setting up camp on top of a building outside the bus on the television, he became furious, threw his mobile phone away and began shooting.
She said she did not know where Mendoza was aiming, adding she was so terrified she closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands.
“His actions were very fast. Once he threw away his phone, I immediately heard gunshots. In less than a minute I was hit,” she recalled.
“When I got shot, I was still conscious. I heard somebody yelling ‘Don’t shoot!’” she told the court.
Yik said she remained in her seat, pretending to be dead. After a long silence, she felt some hard objects hitting her head.
“At the time I thought: ‘My god, I will die this time. I’ve been shot again,’” she said. Yik added that she did not know what had hit her.
The court heard that Yik could remember nothing more until police officers smashed a window near her.
She looked out and saw tour guide Masa Tse Ting-tsunn lying outside the bus.
Yik was initially too emotional to testify on Tuesday, requiring counselling from a social worker in an adjacent courtroom.
The hearing was delayed for 15 minutes. The survivor broke down again when shown a video clip of Mendoza’s brother being arrested.
At the end of the hearing, Yik’s lawyer Daniel Wong Kwok-tung asked her to take off her facemask to show her injuries. Her chin was badly damaged, her lower lip could not be seen and she lost several teeth in the attack. She also lost her the tip of her left thumb and suffered bone fractures to her right index finger.
Yik wept outside court and said she was disgusted with the way Philippine authorities handled the incident. “The eight hostages did not need to die. The authorities did not take the situation seriously” she said.
The 33-year-old said her injuries had greatly affected her life and emotional state.
“I cannot open a door. I cannot put on a bra by myself. I have to wear a facemask when I go out, I have to see a psychiatrist and take medication.
“When I close my eyes, all I can see are scenes [of the bloodbath],” she added.
SCMP
Simpson Cheung
Poor Philippines Records in Law and Order drove city dwellers to enjoy holidays in havens like Clark Freeport.
Metro Manila has lost a great deal of its luster of old not only because of its failure to keep up with the times in development but also its reputation as a safe destination for family bonding, travelers looking to unwind and relax in a beach or a lake and retirees looking for a life of leisure.
Clark Pampanga was the largest foreign US airbase, complete with its own international airport with daily flights linking it to major cities around Asia. Inside of Clark Philippines are golf courses, casinos, family-styled resorts that smacks of the US suburban lifestyles and fine-dining restaurants.
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.
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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
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