Philippines and China Regarding Hostage Tragedy

China's Ambassador Liu Jianchao met with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday and discussed the Philippine government's investigation into the August 23 hostage tragedy that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead.

Liu said he and De Lima talked about the "mutual respect" between the two nations amid the global backlash against Philippine law enforcement authorities for their bungled hostage rescue operations.


De Lima chairs the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC), which is set to hold on Friday its clarificatory questioning for persons that had key roles in handling the hostage drama last week.

The committee's other members are: Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo as vice chair; Teresita Ang-See, chairperson of the Citizens Action Against Crime, representing the Filipino-Chinese community; Herman Basbaño, president of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, representing the media; and Roan Libarios, governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Eastern Mindanao, representing legal luminaries.

The proceedings will also be held on Saturday and Monday next week.

On the other hand, The Philippine Embassy in Beijing has advised Filipinos there to keep a "low profile" as tension still exists between the Philippines and China over the August 23 hostage tragedy in Manila where eight Hong Kong tourists were killed.



The embassy said that any "untoward incidents" related to this should be reported to them through the hotline 13911180495.

During a Senate hearing Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos said he hasn't received any report that Filipinos are being abused in Hong Kong or elsewhere in China because of last week’s hostage tragedy.