The Coroner's Court has declined a last-minute offer by four more witnesses from the Philippines to testify at an inquest into the deaths of eight local citizens killed in the Manila hostage tragedy on Aug 23, 2010.

After a recent string of no-shows among Filipino witnesses, Coroner Michael Chan rejected an offer by forensic experts, one officer from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and three from Philippine National Police, to testify next Monday, or March 28.

Only a handful of 116 witnesses summoned from the Southeast Asian nation gave live testimony via video link from Manila.

The video link was vacated by Hong Kong authorities last week, after last-minute delays and cancellations by several law enforcement officials involved in the standoff and its aftermath.

High-profile actors in the drama declined to supply any information to the inquest, although their testimonies from an earlier Filipino investigation were supplied to the Coroner's Court Monday.

Among those were Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who has been accused of ordering the arrest of the gunman's brother, thereby provoking the slaughter on board the tour bus.

Another high-profile no-show was Police Chief Rodolfo Magtibay, who had been fired from his post after the bungled hostage rescue.

Coroner's Officer Jat Sew-tong said the Philippine authorities had contacted the court on Saturday offering the four witnesses.

But Chan ruled against the proposed testimonies, saying there is no guarantee the witnesses will keep their appointment, in light of last week's cancellations which came without any explanation, stoking the anger of survivors and the family members of the deceased.

Chan said the Philippine authorities and witnesses had ample time to respond after the summonses were sent two and a half months ago, adding the Department of Justice had already vacated its video link post in Manila.

Chan added it is unlikely the witnesses will provide any real insight, given their expertise revolved around crime scene illustration, DNA gender matching and an autopsy on the gunman.

Rolando Mendoza, who had been sacked from the police for allegedly planting evidence with intent to extort money from his victims, hijacked a bus carrying 22 Hong Kong tourists, then demanded reinstatement to the police force.

By the time the 11-hour siege ended, he murdered eight and injured seven before he was killed by police, who took more than an hour to storm the bus.

Hector Pun Hei, representing the older brother of slain tour guide Masa Tse Ting-chun, Tse Chi-kin, submitted to the jury that Philippine authorities had not acted appropriately or in a timely manner to the gunman's requests.

He said lies told by police negotiators that they had returned his Mendoza's younger brother's police sidearm after he was disarmed had pushed Mendoza over the edge.

Pun said the decision to arrest Mendoza's brother despite live coverage seen by the gunman had also fueled the gunman's resolve to end the standoff violently.

He said feeble attempts by police to breech the bus and a slow follow-up meant emergency first-aid which could have saved his client's brother was not performed, urging the jury to return a finding that Tse was illegally killed.

The coroner will make his closing statements Tuesday with the 25-day inquest expected to wrap up when the jury reaches a verdict early next week.

China Daily

(HK Edition 03/22/2011 page1)