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After a Chinese official reiterated his assurance last week that Filipino witnesses of a fatal hijacking in Manila would not be liable for prosecution, the Philippine government Tuesday still demanded that Hong Kong explain the nature of its planned public inquiry. Philippine Justice Secretary Lilian de Lima said Hong Kong had called upon 116 Philippine witnesses to testify at the inquest into the fatal August 23 hijacking of a tourist bus that left eight Hong Kong residents dead. "There will be no legal prosecution of Filipino witnesses. … We would like to have the cooperation of Filipino people in finding the real cause," Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao said. De Lima told reporters she had advised President Benigno Aquino that the Philippine government was under no obligation to bring all 116 of its citizens to the Hong Kong inquest. "I advised the president to seek clarification (on behalf of) the Philippine government on the exact scope and objectives of the inquest proceedings," de Lima said. In late September, an investigating panel headed by de Lima recommended charges against a dozen people, including an ex-national police chief and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. However, in October, Aquino called for only minor charges to be filed against four police officers, Lim and a deputy ombudsman, to the fury of Hong Kong authorities. "We are cooperating (with the Hong Kong government) provided that (our) sovereignty is protected, as well as the rights of Filipinos," de Lima said Tuesday. The best way to proceed would be for Hong Kong to conduct its inquiry under the terms of its 1997 mutual legal assistance treaty with the Phil-ippines, she added. "It's our obligation to assist in terms of sending summons to the witnesses named, but we cannot compel the witnesses to go to Hong Kong. That is not in the scope of the (treaty)," she said. De Lima said that if the two governments agree on the terms of the inquest, she will lead the witnesses to Hong Kong, but suggested that not all 116 witnesses would attend. Hong Kong's justice department wants the mayor of Manila, police snipers, doctors and medical examiners to attend a separate inquiry. AFP |
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