Two testimonies read into evidence Friday gave a close-up perspective on the gunman who brutally slaughtered eight Hong Kong residents, and on the failed rescue operation by Manila police.

The statements, taken in Manila from the driver of the ill-fated tour bus, aboard which the drama was played out, and from a senior Manila police officer, were introduced at the Hong Kong inquest into the slaying.

The statements had been given earlier to Filipino authorities in their investigation of the killings that took place on August 23, 2010.

Driver Alberto Lubang, 38, was closest to the killer, disgraced ex-policeman Rolando Mendoza, during the hostage crisis.

Lubang chatted and joked with Mendoza, answered phone calls for him and turned the on-board TV on and off at Mendoza's request.

He recalled in his statements that the "uniformed police officer, carrying a long gun, a light-color bag, and also a pistol on his waist" followed them into the bus and stated, "sorry, you are all my hostages now."

Lubang recalled Mendoza appeared quite calm at first. He even made jokes sometimes. The driver laughed when Mendoza told him he had two wives.

He later admitted to an investigator that he deliberately played up to the gunman to avoid being shot.

"But he was serious about his purpose," the driver said.

Mendoza asked two negotiators to pass a document to the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman.

With the negotiator promising that the paper had been sent, Mendoza even released more hostages than they asked for in exchange.

But the situation grew worse after a deadline of 3 pm, set by Mendoza, passed.

Lubang testified, Mendoza started to wonder and ask, "it is so long, why it's taking so long?"

The response of the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman, however, disappointed him.

After he read the reply delivered in a brown envelope by negotiators , Mendoza shouted "it's not what I want! It's rubbish, rubbish! You return it back!" and "you are really a liar! I don't' want to talk to you any more."

The angry gunman fired a shot as a warning.

The arrest of his brother triggered the shooting, Lubang said in his earlier testimony.

Mendoza shouted into the phone when he saw the arrest unfolding on television, "you release my brother. If you don't, I will kill all of them," the driver recalled.

"Release him, release him" were the words he remembered most clearly.

Mendoza started shooting, beginning with tour leader Masa Tse at the front door, then he shot the rest of the people "one by one."

The driver said he witnessed the killings through the rearview mirror of the bus.

After the killer finished shooting, Lubang begged to be allowed to go free.

Mendoza answered "up to you, up to you".

The driver managed to remove the handcuff with his nail cutter in about two minutes, and jumped out the window.

Santiago Pascual III, chief of the Rapid Deployment Platoon of the Philippine Police, explained that the planned rescue operation had been put off several times and then set aside.

An entry plan for boarding the bus, including one sniper team and three assault teams, was set up as soon as the police received the hostage report. A rehearsal was conducted.

"On several occasions", the teams were instructed to be ready to move, but they were later instructed to "stand down".

They were given the "go" signal after successive gunshots were heard.

But by then the darkness had fallen. There were no lights inside the bus. It was raining and there was zero visibility. The planned operation was abandoned, according to the testimony of the senior policeman.

China Daily

(HK Edition 02/26/2011 page1)