Duterte sorry for fatal 2010 Manila hostage-taking crisis

President Rodrigo Duterte and daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, mayor of Davao City, are swarmed by supporters during the former’s meeting with the Filipino community at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on April 12. PCOO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has publicly apologized for the Manila hostage crisis in 2010 that killed tourists from Hong Kong.

“May I address myself to the Chinese people who are here, who are with us, who joined us,” Duterte said during a meeting with overseas Filipino workers at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Kowloon.

“From the bottom of my heart, as the President of the Republic of the Philippines and [on] behalf of the people of the Philippines, may I apologize formally to you now,” he said.

Eight Hong Kong nationals died when a sacked police officer, who was removed from the service for extortion, hijacked a tour bus at Rizal Park and opened fire on the passengers.

Both the government and the people of China have always sought an apology, according to Duterte.

The Philippine president at the time, Benigno Aquino III, refused to apologize for the hostage-taking incident, fearing it would create a “legal backlash.”

Duterte assured the Chinese people that the incident would not happen again.

“We are sorry that the incident happened and, [as much] as humanly possible, I would like to make this guarantee also that it will never, never happen again,” he said./PN

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