Palace: Don't speculate, wait for release of probe report

The government has appealed to the public to stop speculating on the findings of the hostage probe committee because the President may allow its report to become public on Monday.

Justice Sec. Leila de Lima, chairperson of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC), said President Benigno Simeon Aquino III may allow the contents of an 83-page report on the August 23 hostage tragedy in Manila to become public on Monday.

"We expect the president to give the go-signal within the day, so wala naman sigurong substantial gap doon sa pagbigay sa Chinese authorities (so there is no substantial gap between the furnishing of the report to Chinese authorities and the disclosure of the report to the Filipinos)," De Lima said in an interview on GMA's Unang Hirit on Monday.

Earlier, critics expressed denounced the Palace for deciding to give a copy of the report to China first before making its contents available to Filipinos.

The IIRC submitted its report to Aquino on Friday. The Philippine government is expected to give a copy of the report to the Chinese embassy on Monday.

Chinese embassy

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang said once the government delivers a copy of the report to the Chinese embassy on Monday, the contents of the report may be disclosed to the public soon after.

"Kung matuloy ang plano (to deliver the report to the Chinese embassy) within the day, baka within the day, or at the latest tomorrow, ay ibibigay na rin sa publiko ang results nito," Carandang told radio dzMM.

(If the plan to deliver the report to the Chinese embassy today is followed, it is likely that within the day, or tomorrow at the latest, can we give the results to the public.)

12 persons held accountable

The IIRC report singled out 12 people as accountable for the fiasco, from among them government officials, police officers, and members of the media who were covered by the investigation, De Lima said in a press conference on Friday.

The investigative panel also recommended criminal and administrative proceedings, or disciplinary action, against the culpable individuals.

De Lima refused to divulge the names of the 12 who will be held accountable for the August 23 hostage incident, saying it is up to the President to take the next action.

Hostage crisis On August 23, at around 10:00 a.m., Rolando Mendoza, a dismissed police senior inspector, hijacked the Hong Thai Travel bus where 25 people — 21 Hong Kong tourists, bus driver Alberto Lubang, tour guide Diana Chan, and two Filipino photographers — were on board. Mendoza later commandeered the bus to the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

Mendoza demanded for his reinstatement into police service and the dismissal of his pending case at the Office of the Ombudsman.

As evening approached, negotiations bogged down after Mendoza called as "garbage" the Ombudsman's vow to review his case.

Mendoza also started his shooting rampage when he saw the live footage of his brother being arrested.

Full transparency

Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma reassured Filipinos the government will be fully transparent about the matter.

“Ang relevant, ano ang magiging aksyon ng pangulo. Kaya baka mas mabuti hintayin natin yan bago tayo gumawa ng ganyang komento," Coloma said in an interview on dwIZ radio on Monday.

(What is relevant will be the course of action the president will adopt. It will be better for us to wait for his announcement before we make comments.)

Act of kindness

Carandang said the President's decision to give a copy of the report to the Chinese embassy first before making its contents public was an act of kindness.

"Di ko nakikita an act of kindness can be interpreted as an (issue) of sovereignty (I do not see how an act of kindness can be interpreted as an issue of sovereignty)," Carandang said in an interview on dzBB radio.

"Para sa akin, it's an act of courtesy, an act of kindness at katulad ng sinabi ko, hindi naman malaki ang agwat ibibigay natin sa Chinese at ilalabas natin sa publiko. Mabibilang siguro sa oras, mabibilang natin sa oras lang, agwat ng oras. Di natin nakikita as an issue," Carandang said.

(To me, it's just an act of courtesy, an act of kindness. It's just a short gap between transmitting the report to the Chinese government and making the contents public.)

Carandang said it was an act of courtesy to the Chinese because Chinese citizens were killed in the August 23 incident.

President still reviewing the report

As of Monday morning, Aquino, who is scheduled to leave for his official visit to the US in the evening, was still reviewing the IIRC report, Coloma said.

The report is about 200 to 300 pages long, including the 83-page report and 10 volumes of annexes.

“Mas mabuti hintayin ang magiging aksyon ng pangulo sa maging recommendation nila. Ang nilahad noong nakaraang araw mako-consider na preliminary in nature hanggang di pa nagiging final ang official ang report. Mabuti siguro hintayin na lang natin," Coloma said.

(It will be better to wait for the president’s action. What had been revealed in past days are considered preliminary in nature, until the report becomes final and official. So it is better to wait for the president’s action.)

“Reasonable siguro bigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang pangulo i-review at tingnan maigi ang aspects ng recommendation ng committee dahil voluminous report ito, 83 pages with 10 annexes. Siguro 200-300 pahina yan kung tutuusin at di ugali ng pangulo gumawa ng decision na di masusing pinagaralan ang lahat," Coloma said.

(It will be reasonable to give the president enough time to mull over the recommendations of the committee. This is a voluminous report, 83 pages with 10 annexes. That will amount to 200 to 300 pages. Besides, the president will not act on something until he has studied all aspects of the matter.)

–with Sophia Dedace, VVP, GMANews.TV