HONG KONG (AP) - Jackie Chan's Tweets about the Manila bus hijacking have drawn a barrage of Internet attacks in his native Hong Kong, which lost eight residents in the tragedy.
An armed former police officer seeking reinstatement commandeered a bus carrying a Hong Kong tour guide and 20 tourists in the Philippine capital on Monday. He released several children and elderly hostages early on, but later opened fire on the remaining hostages after a daylong standoff with police, killing eight before being shot by a police sniper.
Outraged Hong Kongers have criticized the Philippine government for acting too slowly.
But Chan, Hong Kong's most famous celebrity, has taken a more diplomatic tack, suggesting in comments through his Twitter account that the Philippine police faced a tough dilemma.
"If they killed the guy sooner, they will say why not negotiate first? If they negotiate first, they ask why not kill the guy sooner? So sad," the veteran action star wrote on Wednesday.
He also urged Hong Kongers not to direct their anger at Filipinos living in Hong Kong. Tens of thousands of Filipinos work as live-in domestic helpers for Hong Kong families.
The comments did not go down well with his compatriots. Facebook users quickly set up three groups called "Jackie Chan doesn't represent me" and drew a slew of sharply worded attacks.
"Shut up! Hong Kong people don't need you. You side with outsiders and not your own. You will face karmic retribution for your disrespect for the victims," Iris Yau said.
"He just doesn't understand the pain of Hong Kong people," Violet Wing wrote.
Edward Tang, a publicist for Chan, didn't immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Chan has a history of making controversial comments.
He caused an uproar last year by saying at a business forum it may not be good for authoritarian China to become a free society, saying freedoms in democratic Taiwan and Hong Kong - which enjoys some free elections - made those societies "chaotic."
source- philstar.com
Showing posts with label Hostage Crisis in Manila. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hostage Crisis in Manila. Show all posts
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Hostage crisis ends in bloody carnage; 4 hostages dead
The hostage crisis in Manila ended in a bloody carnage Monday night, after a SWAT team assaulted a tourist bus full of mostly Chinese nationals, resulting in the death of hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza, a former police officer, and at least four hostages.
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo told reporters at least six of the hostages were confirmed alive.
Four hostages were confirmed dead, according to presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. The fate of the other hostages, meanwhile, was unknown as of posting time.
Mendoza was confirmed dead after sustaining a shot in the head, according to the sniper who claimed he hit the hostage-taker who was armed with an M-16 rifle.
One of the survivors - a Chinese national currently being treated at the Ospital ng Maynila (OM) - narrated that Mendoza started randomly firing at the hostages at around 8 p.m. She said her husband, who was among the fatalities, used his own body to shield her from the spray of bullets.
This resulted in the hostages sustaining gunshot wounds in different parts of their body.
She further called on authorities to bring to OM her three young children, who might have been taken to another hospital.
The four hostages at OM are now stable, according to a report by Mariz Umali, and said they just wanted to go back to their hotels to be able to rest.
One hostage is currently in critical condition after the horrific hostage-taking incident in Manila, Malacañang said minutes after the assault.
The wounded hostages were taken to OM and Philippine General Hospital.
The presidential spokesman told Palace reporters that President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has yet to issue an official statement on the incident. "The president has been meeting with the police, the DILG officials, and [Manila] Mayor [Alfredo] Lim. As of now, four hostages has been confirmed dead, one in critical condition. We will be issuing a statement later tonight," Lacierda said.
Of the six hostages taken to Ospital ng Maynila, two were declared dead after sustaining several gunshot wounds in different parts of the body. —With Jam Sisante/KBK/VS, GMANews.TV
Source: gmanews.tv
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo told reporters at least six of the hostages were confirmed alive.
Four hostages were confirmed dead, according to presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. The fate of the other hostages, meanwhile, was unknown as of posting time.
Mendoza was confirmed dead after sustaining a shot in the head, according to the sniper who claimed he hit the hostage-taker who was armed with an M-16 rifle.
One of the survivors - a Chinese national currently being treated at the Ospital ng Maynila (OM) - narrated that Mendoza started randomly firing at the hostages at around 8 p.m. She said her husband, who was among the fatalities, used his own body to shield her from the spray of bullets.
This resulted in the hostages sustaining gunshot wounds in different parts of their body.
She further called on authorities to bring to OM her three young children, who might have been taken to another hospital.
The four hostages at OM are now stable, according to a report by Mariz Umali, and said they just wanted to go back to their hotels to be able to rest.
One hostage is currently in critical condition after the horrific hostage-taking incident in Manila, Malacañang said minutes after the assault.
The wounded hostages were taken to OM and Philippine General Hospital.
The presidential spokesman told Palace reporters that President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has yet to issue an official statement on the incident. "The president has been meeting with the police, the DILG officials, and [Manila] Mayor [Alfredo] Lim. As of now, four hostages has been confirmed dead, one in critical condition. We will be issuing a statement later tonight," Lacierda said.
Of the six hostages taken to Ospital ng Maynila, two were declared dead after sustaining several gunshot wounds in different parts of the body. —With Jam Sisante/KBK/VS, GMANews.TV
Source: gmanews.tv
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