More than 100 summonses have been issued by the Coroner's Court as it prepares for a 25-day inquest into the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists taken hostage and killed by a crazed ex-policeman in Manila.

Among those summoned are Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and former Manila Police Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay. Magtibay was fired from his post as a result of the tragedy. Also called to give testimony are police snipers and first responders who took part in the botched rescue of a besieged tour bus August 23. Those summoned have two weeks to say whether they will attend.

The government is also considering shifting the high-profile inquest from the Eastern Magistracy to the High Court to accommodate crowds of reporters and concerned citizens eager to learn the truth about what happened.

Philippine doctors who first examined the victims and survivors are among the 116 people summoned, according to Senior Counsel Jat Sew-tong who is acting on behalf of the government.

"It is our hope that these first-responders will attend the hearings as their evidence will be invaluable in establishing the causes of death," Sewtong said outside the Eastern Magistracy after the closed-door pre-inquest review.

He said a video-uplink may be used in the event witnesses who agree to testify are not able to attend in person.

Although the exact number of attendees has yet to be fixed, some 32 people from Hong Kong are also expected to testify, including survivors and the families of victims.

Jason Leung, an 18-year-old Hong Kong and Canadian citizen whose recovery from a head shot has been closely watched by the media will not be called to testify since he is still convalescing, Sewtong said.

According to Civic Party lawmaker and barrister Ronny Tong, the summonses issued by the Coroner's Court would carry weight only if the Philippine judiciary issues its own summonses.

Philippine Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, who flew to Hong Kong Thursday, pledged his government's cooperation with Hong Kong's inquest, within the framework of mutual legal assistance agreements. Lim came to Hong Kong to apprise Chief Executive Donald Tsang of reforms undertaken to make it safer for tourists traveling in the Philippines. He also announced the Philippine government was prepared to compensate the families of victims of the incident.

On August 23, Rolando Mendoza, 55, an ex-cop who had been fired for corruption, hijacked the bus transporting the tourists and held 21 Hong Kong residents hostage. Mendoza stated he wanted reinstatement as a senior police officer and to be exonerated of charges of extortion and corruption.

A protracted standoff that ended with a botched rescue attempt and the perpetrator dead, along with eight of his victims. The incident was broadcast around the world.

China Daily

(HK Edition 12/18/2010 page1)