Update from ABS-CBN: Hong Kong will hold a public inquest into the Manila bus hijacking crisis which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in August, a spokeswoman for the coroner’s court said Wednesday.
The inquest is scheduled to last 25 days starting from February 14, she told AFP, less than a month after Hong Kong police concluded their probe into the poorly-handled fiasco which dented relations between Manila and Hong Kong.
The announcement, made by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda confirmed what had been talked about in the diplomatic circle : the Philippines had been told by China unofficially that they would not welcome the delegation as long as they don’t see anybody being made accountable for the tragedy that killed eight of their people.
Lacierda, who was supposed to be part of the delegation together with Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, said, “The Chinese foreign ministry could not schedule us.”
This comes after the Chinese government also declined three requests by the Philippines for a meeting between Aquino and the Chinese leader in the three international events that the former attended.
Last September in his first foreign trip to the United States to attend the opening of the 65th United Nations General Assembly, the Department of Foreign Affairs requested for a meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The Chinese foreign ministry told the DFA, Wen’s schedule could not accommodate Aquino.
At this time, the report of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had been submitted to Malacañang and the Chinese Embassy in Manila but Aquino said it would be subjected for review by his legal advisers lead by Executive Secretary Paquito”Jojo” Ochoa.
When Aquino came back from the U.S., he upheld the recommendations of his legal team which watered down the IIRC recommendation. Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno and former chief of the Philippine National Police Jesus Versoza were cleared of any accountability for the tragedy. Manila Mayor Lim’s accountability was also reduced to administrative which up to now has not been implemented.
Another request for a meeting with Wen in Hanoi last October was made where the two leaders would be going for the ASEAN plus three summit would take place. Still, the Chinese government declined.
Early this month, the DFA requested for a meeting of Aquino with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the 18th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders meeting in Yokohama, Japan. No meeting took place.
Aquino, however, was able to meet with Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang. Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang told members of media that it was a “productive” meeting and they discussed August 23 hostage taking incident.
Carandang did not elaborate what was “productive” about the meeting but added, “”We believe that this (Aug 23 incident) will be a closed chapter soon.”
Carandang did not say that Tsang told Aquino that they wanted to see “accountability” in the tragic incident.
The Chinese have demonstrated in all their dealings they do not forget easily. Unlike Filipinos, they have a long memory.
Why would the Philippines care about China’s displeasure ?
Whenever Aquino is asked about his foreign policy, he would talk about the overseas Filipino workers and the need to strengthen the economy. It could only mean that his main priority in relations with foreign countries is to protect the OFWs whose $18 billion remittances have become the pillar that holds the country’s economy.
Aquino should be made to understand that international relations is a complex web of inter-related interests. He cannot bungle in one issue involving a foreign country, gloss over it, and expect it to fade away.
In the same way economic relations cannot be be pursued vigorously without consideration of lingering political issues and sensitivity to cultural values.
China is now an economic superpower. The Chinese are masters in the art of being inscrutable. It would be wise for the Philippines, for its own interest, not to take the Chinese snub lightly.
see that? kung Estados Unidos kaya ang magsabi ng ganyan, sigurado may papalag at mag kotya naman sa bansang America… Pero ngayon CHina, sino ba sa mga aktibista ang pumapalag? wala..
Ano ba naman sina Carandang and company, do they not know how China communicates its messages?
Immediately after Noynoy and Tsang met at APEC (and Carandang was saying “..productive meeting”) Hongkong newspapers published articles about Chinese citizens expecting Pilipinas government to deal appropriately with those responsible for the Quirino Grandstand massacre. China clearly communicates its messages. China has been and remains very displeased with Noynoy Administration trivializing the Quirino Grandstand massacre.
I gotta love how Malacanan spins. Para bang nang-iinsulto sila sa mga Pilipino. I bet they have a low regard of 15M voters’ intelligence.
Has anyone been keeping tabs of Noynoy’s lies and inconsistencies?
ellen, is it true that romulo is only up to end of this year?
Preno, sabi da.
But I will only believe it when he is finally out of DFA. For all you know, right now he is again asking help from his “sponsors” to let the President allow him to stay until 2013.
Basted pala ang panliligaw ni Noynoy sa mga Chinese. Strike out agad. Hindi man lang naka-first base.
Akala kasi ng mga taong ito ang mga Chinese ay katulad ng mga Pilipino na kayang-kaya nilang utuin, madaling maniwala at madaling makalimot. Hayan, kahit yata naglulumuhod sa paghingi ng awa para mapansin si Noynoy, walang nangyari. Hindi man lang nilingon at tiningnan si Noynoy. Ang tingin ng mga Chinese ay mga “sisiw” ang mga namamahala sa Pilipinas.
The problem of Noynoy’s government is its arrogance and feeling of importance. They thought that this country is so invaluable and indispensable to be ignored. But the truth remains that the country is still a non-player in international affairs and its only important contribution is as supplier of cheap labor, super nannies and caregivers to the world, which is the only clear “foreign policy” and priority of the current government just as under Gloria’s.
Wala nga namang kasing hirap at hindi na kailangan gamitin ang utak and leadership skills. Kayang-kaya ni Noynoy yan.
i believe that the government of the Philippines can not pretend to be like one of the superpowers that it can “fool” around and get away with it, like China and the U.S. sometimes with it suits its internal politics. it must remember that to the international scheme she must be play it to role or she will be marginalized as trying to assume the roles of the Big boys which she ain’t…
Re: #7 florry,
Sapol mo ulo ng pako.
“see that? kung Estados Unidos kaya ang magsabi ng ganyan, sigurado may papalag at mag kotya naman sa bansang America… Pero ngayon CHina, sino ba sa mga aktibista ang pumapalag? wala..”
Iba ang China sa USA. Nakita nyo ba ang ginawa ng China sa Japan over the fishing boat incident?
Ano kung ayaw ng China sa atin? kahit ganoon ang mga Blue Seals…mas ok sila para sa akin….pero hindi ba may dugo si Cory na Chinese?
Ellen, wala bang mahusay-husay na balita tungkol sa mga gawain, gawain na may halaga, ni PeNoy? Kung di mga balitang show biz celebs sa buhay ni PeNoy, kapalpakan naman niya of tao niya ang nasa balita.
Gaano katagal kaya ang initiation period ni PeNoy sa puwesto? May nare-retain kaya siyang aral sa mga dinadaan niya ngayon na magagamit niya bukas? So far malabo, but let’s hope so for our nations sake.
Isagani, Asa ka pa. Buti pa yung P700M sa lotto tinamaan na. Nakalista na yung mga babalatuhan ko dito, kaso iba ang tumama.
RE: Ano kung ayaw ng China sa atin? kahit ganoon ang mga Blue Seals…mas ok sila para sa akin….pero hindi ba may dugo si Cory na Chinese?~Rose
Wag nila Igan Rose…hehehe!
Dagdagan pa natin kung sinu-sino sa mga known personalities na may dugong Instik:
1) Pres. Sergio Osmena
2) Jose P. Laurel
3) Pres. Elpidio Quirino
4) Pres. Ramon Magsaysay
5) Pres. Ferdinand Marcos
6) PM Cesar Virata
7) Carlos P. Romulo
8) Roberto Ongpin
9) Pres. Cory Aquino
Heto na nga ang link para kumpleto-rekado kasi isang laksa sila na namumunini sa ating bansa…
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/arch_0044-8613_1986_num_32_1_2316ng Pinas…
Buti nga isnob lang ang ginagawa ng China sa atin. Kung siguro mga turistang Pinoy ang na massacre sa Tianamen dahil sa katangahan ng mga pulis doon, baka naghaman na tayo ng giyera. 😛
“naghamon”
O.T.
Hilarious! Must watch.
Warning: Parental Guidance (Contains Explicit Language)
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKrXS3F36SJ0%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded&h=af13b
# 19 post was Hitler’s reaction to “Pilipinas Kay Ganda”. 😛
China dumped Pnoy after Liz dumped him. Liz Uy is Chinese.
Isagani – November 29, 2010 12:51 pm
Ellen, wala bang mahusay-husay na balita tungkol sa mga gawain, gawain na may halaga, ni PeNoy? Kung di mga balitang show biz celebs sa buhay ni PeNoy, kapalpakan naman niya of tao niya ang nasa balita.
kawawa ka naman igan… wala kang nababasang maganda balita. Eto basahin mo… kung saan naanib ang katulad mo…
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/207206/palace-aquinos-new-approval-rating-reaches-record-high
#22
Hinde propaganda at paikot ng palasyo ang tukoy ko, Perl. Gets mo ba?
RE:#15 “Isagani, Asa ka pa.” TonGue
kelangan, diba?
#23, mukhang ako ang hindi mo gets… kaya ko binigay yang link para malaman mong maraming nagtitiwala kay PNoy… hindi magtitiwala ang mga taong yan kung hindi nakakakita ng maraming “magandang” balita sa bagong gobyerno… gets mo?
#25 Perl,
Siempre naman, gets na gets. Problema e yung objective ang tingin gets din nila. Pero mahirap, masyadong malapit sa elepante ang iba diyan o kaya naman hinahanap nila ang gubat samantalang nadoon na sila sa loob.
Score bokya pa rin.
#26 Igan,
walang elepante sa pinas.. at halos kalbo na mga gubat.. kaya malabong mabulag at maligaw ang mga taong yan…
OT:
Kapag hindi pa nagkaron ng reinvestigation dito sa kaso ni Lacson… ewan ko na lang… talgang pagdududahan ko na to si De Lima:
Ping Lacson siblings appeal for reinvestigation of charges
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/207065/ping-lacson-siblings-appeal-for-reinvestigation-of-charges
Komunista pa rin ang China kahit na sabihin natin na democratic na ang mga foreign ties nila. It still has to be their way or “no way”. Business minded ang mga yan kaya ni-leleverage nila yung Aug 23rd incident to get more mileage and concessions with the Pinoys. Pakipot muna sila baka sakaling magbigay si Pnoy.
#27 walang elepante sa pinas – Perl
Lol … Kung gusto mong makakita ng elepante, pumunta ka sa Zoo. Meron dun. Pero yung elepanteng sinasabi ko, ke laki man, e di mo makikita.
If Pres. Aquino thinks his protection of his friends closed the Aug. 23 tragedy, he is mistaken.
Update from ABS-CBN: Hong Kong will hold a public inquest into the Manila bus hijacking crisis which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in August, a spokeswoman for the coroner’s court said Wednesday.
The inquest is scheduled to last 25 days starting from February 14, she told AFP, less than a month after Hong Kong police concluded their probe into the poorly-handled fiasco which dented relations between Manila and Hong Kong.
Inquest to further strain PH-HK ties: analysts
The country should prepare for further diplomatic tensions with Hong Kong as the latter prepares for a public inquest into the hostage crisis that happened more than 3 months ago, a law expert said.
In an interview with ANC, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Law Dean Ernest Maceda said “we’ll see where this takes us. Definitely, for as long as this thing remains, you can anticipate the tensions to remain high, and the matter of diplomatic intercourse between the countries still up in question.”
@Ellen,
The whole country, not only the Undecisive, is now caught between a rock and a hard place. Baka ningangarog na si Undecisive niyan dahil mapapatunayan ng HK na tinutulogan lang niya ang nangyari sa Luneta.
Sino ba si Noynoy at PH sa mata ng China? Di naman tayo North Korea.
So, Hong Kong/China will conduct their own probe. Fine !! Then what ?? If the outcome of their inquest parallel that of our own police’s investigation, do we really think they would stop there ? Better still, would they even dare say that their own inquest tallied with our own ? Bottom-line, they would come up with the end-result they want to come up with because they already have a pre-conceived conclusion even before they boarded the plane to take them to Manila.
The HK justice system is way way better than our just-tiis system. Not perfect but better than ours. Whatever the out come of their own investigation in my opinion would be just and fair to all concerned. We can’t blame them for doing their own investigation since their countrymen were victims of a crime. We definitely would do the same if our countrymen was meted the same similar fate.
I remembered on several occasions when we were insulted by foreigners like the Chip chow case, the Jay Leno lampooning Filipino soldiers “retreating” from the Iraq war, a dictionary describing Filipinos as domestic help, etc… insulto palang nagwawala na tayo. We were up in arms against their stupidity and insensitivity. Several HK people died and we didn’t see anyone being prosecuted and jailed. What’s worse is the fact that the president seemed to be trying to shield those people who were responsible for the Luneta incident Sa palagay niyo ba matutuwa sila? If we were in their shoes, ewan lang kung ano ang magiging reaction natin, baka mas masahol pa.
I remembered several years ago when a Filipina OFW was maltreated by a HK couple, the HK gov’t prosecuted the couple and both were jailed and asked them pay the Pinay for damages. They didn’t hesitate nor tried to protect their own, it was swift and just.
In my view what HK is doing is about justice. Tama yun and it’s their right to do so. Sa atin, many of our leaders (kuno) past and present practices “coddling” of inefficient and unqualified operators, public servant pala! This cost us both time and money resulting in Bad Governance! It’s possible HK action may cost us more. Tanggalin na nga kasi ang ganitong kalakaran. utang na loob. Pera ito ng bayan..Gobyerno ito ng bayan..kahihiyan ito ng bayan….hindi sa inyo!
So far, none of those accused in that hostage killings are charged and punished. We only hear this on paper and media. Even the Bentong look-alike brother of the slain Mendoza is back as Traffic cop. Can we blame the Hongkong authorities if they now want to conduct their own investigation? The way things are happening in this new administration, I think it’s no different from the previous one.
Among the Philippine Presidents, it appears Noynoy is the least popular to China. Kahit na noon panahon ni Marcos na buhay pa si Mao Tse Dong, hindi naman ganyan ang China sa atin. Pnoy has to work much harder to renew the relationship with them. As it is now, China seems to be more indispensable than the US.
1) not exactly true but because JoMa Sison and his friends were doing his proxy wars in Pinas, he had no choice but to sit back, relax and enjoy the CPP and the NPA shows
2) ultimately Ferdie had the good sense to send Imelda to play the imeldific envoy and whose mission it was to tickle Mao from the tip of his mishapen head to the tip of his ugly toes.