Philippines launches inquiry into bungled bus siege rescue

Philippine authorities are attempting to clarify what went wrong during a bungled hostage siege in which eight tourists were killed after an assault team took too long to storm a bus on which a heavily armed former police officer was holding 15 people captive.

The Philippine police yesterday said the assault team that tried to rescue the 15 Hong Kong tourists on Monday was inadequately trained, armed and led.

Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi said his government was "appalled" at the way the siege was ended and phoned his Philippine counterpart to voice concern. The Foreign Office said two of the hostages who survived were British nationals.

The gunman, Rolando Mendoza, 55, a policeman who was angry at having been sacked, was killed by police.

Eight of his hostages were killed, either by the gunman or during the siege, and one is in a critical condition.

Police made an initial attempt to board the bus after Mendoza grew agitated while talking to his brother and shot at a police sniper, said Nelson Yabut, head of the assault team.

The Filipino bus driver later managed to escape and reported that Mendoza had fired at the tourists. Mendoza was then shot in the head, police lobbed tear gas into the bus and commandos stormed the vehicle by smashing windows and the back door with sledgehammers.

Philippine police defended their actions, pointing out that officers lacking proper equipment had risked their lives in trying to end the stand-off. But they promised to review all events leading to the deaths.

"We will look at whether what we did was right," Philippine national police spokesman Agrimero Cruz said.

Hong Kong yesterday advised residents not to travel to the Philippines, and China's Global Times tabloid, a Communist Party mouthpiece, said the botched rescue reflected a deeper malaise.

"The Philippines is one of the most chaotic countries in Southeast Asia," the newspaper said. "A culture of colonisation, autocracy and rapid changes in government have created all sorts of curious grievances in this country."

President Benigno Aquino III, facing his first major crisis since taking office on 30 June, declared today a national day of mourning in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong to "share their sorrow with them," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

At the scene of the stand-off, relatives of two dead hostages attended a Buddhist ceremony meant to comfort those who die violently. The tearful relatives trailed monks who walked around the bus, sprinkling water on the bullet-peppered vehicle.

At the presidential palace, Mr Aquino met Chinese ambassador Liu Jianchao and spoke by phone for 15 minutes with Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang.