'The Chinese government demands the Philippine government launch a thorough investigation into the incident and inform the Chinese side of related details as soon as possible,' said Mr Yang. -- PHOTO: AP
MANILA (Philippines) - CHINA demanded answers on Tuesday from the Philippines after a 12-hour hostage drama in the heart of Manila ended with eight Hong Kong tourists dead along with their Filipino hostage-taker after a day of botched negotiations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said his government was 'appalled' and telephoned his Philippine counterpart Alberto Romulo to voice concern, while Hong Kong residents expressed outrage and media outlets in the Chinese territory denounced Philippine police as incompetent.
Dismissed policeman Rolando Mendoza, 55, was armed with a M-16 rifle and a pistol when he seized the busload of 21 Hong Kong tourists and four locals to demand his reinstatement on the force.
The ordeal ended in bloodshed on live TV with police storming the bus and killing the gunman after he fired at the tourists, killing eight of them.
'The Chinese government demands the Philippine government launch a thorough investigation into the incident and inform the Chinese side of related details as soon as possible,' Mr Yang said, according to a statement posted on his ministry's website.
At the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong, a wealthy former British colony unaccustomed to violence, several dozen protesters chanted: 'Strongly condemn the Philippine government for being careless about human life!' Philippine police defended their action but promised to review all events leading to the deaths. 'There will be an internal audit. We will look at whether what we did was right,' national police spokesman Agrimero Cruz told The Associated Press. -- AP
