From the Website of PIA
links: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1751398338766
Luneta hostage-taking issue ends with 'win-win' solution, says Malacanang Friday 25th of April 2014
MANILA,
April 25 -- The Luneta hostage-taking issue that strained Philippine
and Hong Kong relations for almost four years has ended with a win-win
solution, Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said Thursday.
In
a press briefing in Malacanang, Secretary Almendras said that both the
Philippine and Hong Kong governments have satisfied the demands of the
victims and their families.
“We all came out winners,” he said.
In
August 2013, 21 tourists from Hong Kong were held hostage by a
dismissed policeman inside a bus at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta.
Eight tourists died and several others were wounded after a botched
rescue.
Since then, the Hong Kong Government and the victims and
their families had sought an official apology from the Philippine
Government, compensation, sanctions against responsible officials and
individuals, and improved tourist safety measures.
The victims
and their families will be given a “token of solidarity”, Secretary
Almendras said, noting that the words “token of solidarity” were used to
replace “compensation,” given the sensitivity of the issue.
He
said not all the victims’ families are going to accept the token because
some of them do not believe that it is appropriate for them to accept
money.
Secretary Alemendras refused to state the exact amount of
the token of solidarity, having promised the families of the victims
that he would not reveal it due to the sensitivity of the issue in Hong
Kong.
He however said that not a single peso or Hong Kong dollar came from either the Philippine or Hong Kong governments.
The
amount came from “businessmen, ordinary citizens, people who cared,
even people who were close to certain people in organizations,” he said,
adding that the victims’ families will receive the token within the
week.
He further said that Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying expressed his gratitude to President Benigno S. Aquino III.
“Please
tell President Aquino, I thank him very much and I must acknowledge
that he is truly a man of his word,” he quoted the Hong Kong chief
executive as saying.
The Cabinet Secretary earlier apologized for
the secrecy surrounding his series of trips to Hong Kong because “there
was a lot of emotion and a lot of sensitivity to families and persons
who were involved.”
“There were 21 victims, 21 families, 21 lives, 21 different perspectives, 21 different opinions,” he said.
“Hindi
po one size fits all. Every single consideration po, every member of
the family or every victim’s family had to be put in place,” he added.
With
the resolution of the hostage-taking incident, Hong Kong lifted the
sanction that require Philippine officials and diplomatic passport
holders to apply for visas when visiting Hong Kong, as well as the
“black” travel alert that warned Hong Kong citizens against travelling
to the Philippines.
Secretary Almendras said the issue is now
closed. “Once and for all, completely, absolutely, tapos na ito,” he
said. (PCOO) - See more at:
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