Philippines Under Attack Over Hostage Crisis

Anger is growing in Hong Kong against the Philippine authorities after a hostage crisis ended in the killing of eight tourists.

The hostage taker - an ex-policeman - also died at the end of a day-long siege in the capital after earlier signs that the crisis would be resolved peacefully.
One survivor of the Manila siege said her husband and two daughters aged 21 and 14 were killed during the crisis, while her son is in intensive care.
The woman, Mrs Leung, said her husband had died a hero trying to shield his family.

Mrs Leung lost her husband and two daughters; her son is in intensive care

"The Philippine government... I can't accept this. Why did they do this to us?" she said, sobbing. "The gunman did not want to kill us. He only shot us after the negotiations failed."
It has also emerged that two of the hostages were British nationals.
Hong Kong is advising residents against travel to the Philippines, one of South East Asia's most popular tourist destinations.
"We demand that the Philippine authorities conduct a detailed and comprehensive investigation on the incident. They must provide a full account to us as soon as possible," Hong Kong's chief executive Donald Tsang said.

Philippine president Benigno Aquino III admitted things had gone wrong but said it had been hard for police to launch a rescue mission on a bus that was parked some distance from cover.

Ex-cop Rolando Mendoza peers out from a window on the bus during the siege

"Another aspect that I think not too many people are aware was that at some point in time, when the action did occur, the hostage-taker had surrounded himself with his hostages," president Aquino said.
"He used them as body shields which made our forces hesitate to employ deadly force."
Authorities had taken heart from the release during the day of nine hostages by 55-year-old Rolando Mendoza, a disgruntled former policeman angry at being sacked from the force.